If Not in This Life, Maybe in the Next
by darisu-chan
Summary: Series of IchiRuki one-shots for your IchiRuki needs. "Isshin's latest attempt at listening through Ichigo's door finally brings results."
1. Stranded

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Summary:** You might be wondering why I'm here with yet another fanfiction when I have already many unfinished ones. Well, for the span of almost a year I realized I have many, many unfulfilled IchiRuki plot bunnies that I haven't written either for lack of time or for not knowing how to continue the story. I decided that I could effectively turn most into one-shots, so the ideas won't be just sitting in my head and then I can focus on other stuff. I also needed a place to put my entries for the IchiRuki month. Most of these one-shots will be AUs or maybe even semi AUs, but I don't think I'll be writing canon compliant one-shots. After the IR month, I'll open up requests for ideas you guys have. You can send them through a review or on Tumblr.

I really hope you enjoy this one-shot, and will wait for more.

Until next time!

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Stranded

 **Summary:** What could be worse than getting lost in the woods? Oh, that's right. Getting lost in the woods with your ex.

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"This is all your fault." The woman on his right huffed angrily, and crossed her arms.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "You've been saying that for the best part of the last two hours."

"Because I'm right, and you know it." She added.

 _Bitch_. "Yeah, fine! Let's suppose it's my fault that we're lost−"

"It's no supposition. _We're_ lost! And it's your fault!" The woman interrupted him, angrily pointing an accusing finger at him.

"I wasn't the one who couldn't read a goddamn map!" Ichigo yelled right back at her.

"Well, I wasn't the one who brought a clearly outdated map!"

"I didn't bring it! Ishida gave it to me!"

"Sure, bring Ishida into this!"

Ichigo let out a loud scream, and then slapped a hand on his forehead. He couldn't do this anymore. The past two hours had been filled with nothing but yelling. He was tired, and all he wanted to do was lie down on his comfy bed, and have a night of rest, thinking nice thoughts, not stuck here with the she-devil next to him.

"You know what, I'm sick of this. I don't want to fight anymore." He said, still covering half his face with his hand.

"Fine." She said, turning her face to look at the window. She was visibly fuming.

"Fine." Ichigo added as an after-thought, making her glare at him. He always had to have the upper hand.

Once they both had grown quite, Ichigo sighed. How on Earth had he gotten to this point? Oh yeah. Like most things that had gone wrong in his life, it all started with Ishida. The camping trip had been _Ishida's_ idea after all. About two weeks ago, they all had gone to Chad's apartment to play videogames and eat pizza. It was a casual get-together between them, which had been a tradition since high school.

"Man, I'm glad we're all here! I really needed this, guys!" Keigo said happily, in the middle of munching on his slice of pizza. "I've been pretty bummed lately. I failed one of my exams, and then I had to hand in two essays on the same day! _Two_!" The brunet complained loudly.

"Stop whining, Asano-san." Mizuiro said, his eyes not straying from his cell phone.

"As if you were so smart, Mizuiro! I'm sure you've failed at least one of your exams!"

"I assure you my lowest grade has been an 85." The other boy said, finally looking at his friend.

"What? You're kidding me!" Keigo exclaimed frantically, before being forcefully shut up by a soda can, which hit him right on his face.

"Shut up, Asano!" Tatsuki said, her arm still raised from when she had thrown the can. "Your voice is irritating me!"

"Well excuse me for trying to share my pain with my friends." Keigo said, his hand rubbing his nose. "I just need a distraction from my daily routine."

"Keigo's right. We need a break from studying so much." Ichigo agreed with his friend, making Keigo shed tears of joy.

"Oh, Ichigo! I knew you were my true friend!" He exclaimed, trying to hug Ichigo.

"Please, don't touch me." Ichigo said, pushing Keigo away from him.

"We should do something fun!" Inoue Orihime, the second girl of the group, said enthusiastically, even clapping her hands. "Like go on a trip somewhere for the weekend!"

"I've got you covered." Ishida said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "My family owns two cabins on the woods, right next to each other. We can all go camping one weekend."

"That's an amazing idea, Ishida-kun!" Orihime beamed at the boy with glasses, making him blush. "We can go in two weeks, when finals will be over. It'd be a great way to celebrate the end of the semester!"

"Ah. That's a good plan." Chad, who had remained silent throughout the conversation, finally said.

"So, let's start planning." They all cheered.

It was decided they would all go on Chad's van, and that they would leave early to explore a bit of the woods before it got dark. At night, they would set a fire outside the cabins, and cook sausages and toast marshmallows, while drinking beer. It sounded like a dream come true, especially for someone as outdoorsy as Ichigo. Everyone was pretty excited, and Keigo even had a countdown for when the event would take place. They couldn't wait.

All Ichigo had wanted was to have a fun weekend with his friends, away from the stress university gave him. But that dream ended the moment he saw _her_ , standing right next to Inoue. And if you're asking who it was, it was none other than freaking Kuchiki Rukia, the only sister of the mogul Kuchiki Byakuya, who also happened to be Ichigo's ex-girlfriend.

It's not that Ichigo wasn't aware that Inoue and Rukia were close friends. In fact, after the breakup, he had assured Orihime that he didn't mind if she still talked to Rukia. He knew they were friends, and he also knew they spent time together. What Ichigo hadn't expected was for Inoue to invite Rukia to their camping trip, making him face his ex after seventeen long months of avoiding each other. He had almost screamed the moment his eyes had zeroed on her. Rukia turned away from him.

"I invited Kuchiki-san to come along. Her brother is out of town, and I didn't want her to be lonely." Inoue explained. _Of course_. Ichigo thought. _Give it to Inoue to be a saint_. "I hope you don't mind."

"Of course we don't mind!" Keigo exclaimed. "We're more than happy to have Rukia-chan back!" He said with familiarity and rushed to hug the girl, but was interrupted by Tatsuki.

"Don't scare Kuchiki before we're off!" She barked at him, making the boy cower in fear.

"We don't mind, but this poses a problem in logistics. Chad's van only has space for six people, plus luggage, and we're eight." Ishida explained. "Six of us will ride on Chad's van, and the other two can take my car."

Ichigo nodded. "I can go in your car with you, Ishida." He said, thinking Ishida was giving him an excuse to avoid Rukia. _You're truly a good friend, Ishida_.

"Well, you see, Kurosaki," Ishida started saying, "Sado-kun doesn't have a good sense of direction, so I'd like to go with him, in case he gets lost. But, other than Sado-kun and I, you're the only one who knows how to drive, so you're going to take my car."

"Fine, I'll take it. Just explain me the directions."

"Of course."

"So who am I taking with me?" Ichigo asked, and instantly regretted it.

"Kuchiki-san can go with you. She'd be more comfortable in my car." Ishida answered smugly.

 _On second thought, fuck you, Ishida_.

"Wait…" Rukia tried to say, but was ignored.

"Don't worry, Kuchiki-san. We know how you hate crowded spaces, it's for the best." Inoue said innocently.

"Yeah, besides Ichigo needs a good copilot, and you're the best choice." Tatsuki said, the rest agreeing with her.

"Well, then, let's get going!" Ishida said and they started walking towards the van, leaving the other two behind. "We need to pick up some stuff, so go ahead!"

Ichigo knew what was going on. They had set them up. For what purpose exactly, he wasn't sure. But now he was stuck with the last person he wanted to be around. Well, maybe not the last, her brother was the last person actually, but Rukia was a close second. So armed with nothing but a map and the instructions Ishida gave them –"There's no way you can get lost"− they set out on their journey. At the beginning the ride was silent, neither said anything and they tried really hard not to look at each other. They were forced to speak when the road split into two.

"Did Ishida say turn right or left?" Ichigo addressed her for the first time. She looked mildly startled, before pondering for a few moments.

"To the right, I believe."

After that, the complications started. The way wasn't as easy as Ishida had made it seem. The road continuously split, and sometimes they had even lost the road altogether. The map was complicated to read, and neither could make sense of it. To make matters worse, their phones didn't have a signal, and calling their friends was out of the question.

"You're reading it wrong, fool!"

"No, there's no way it's pointing there, idiot!"

"That's not the North!"

Each time they hit a dead end, or got more lost, they would start fighting, until, eventually, they went too deep into the woods, and neither could remember the way back. Ichigo had decided to park the car, calm down, and either wait for Ishida and the rest to find them, or try to remember exactly where they were before, and retrace their steps. This led them to their current situation of blaming each other. Fortunately, after their last fight they had gone silent. Ichigo massaged his forehead. This couldn't get any worse. He turned to look at his unwilling companion. She was still looking out of the window, seeming deep in thought. Ichigo took the time to really look at her. She had cut her hair short. It now barely reached below her cheeks, when the last time he saw her it had reached past her shoulders. She was wearing a cozy white sweater, jeans, and black boots and a jacket. He noticed Rukia wasn't wearing any makeup. In that aspect she had remained the same, keeping it casual. He was partially glad about it. Maybe she wasn't a total stranger after all.

"I still have no signal." Rukia announced after a period of time.

Ichigo sighed. "Me neither."

"What are we going to do?" She asked, and Ichigo noticed that, despite trying to appear calm, she was scared. He still could read her very well.

"I've been trying to retrace our steps, but with so many turns, I'm at a blank. I think we should wait for Ishida. At this point, they probably figured out we got lost." It had been almost two hours since they set off.

Rukia groaned. "Guess that's the best plan for now."

"I'm gonna murder Ishida when I see him." Ichigo commented out of the blue.

"I'll help you with that." Rukia smirked. Then they fell into a comfortable silence.

Ichigo took out his phone, checked to see if he had signal ─he didn't─, and then started playing with his phone to pass the time. Fifteen minutes went by like this, until his stomach started grumbling. Fuck. He hadn't eaten much for breakfast thinking he'd get to eat once they were in the cabins, and he hadn't brought snacks with him, for he left the food he had bought in his backpack in Chad's van. He really had rotten luck.

"Hungry?" Rukia asked him.

Ichigo felt himself blush. "Kinda."

The girl chuckled. "I'd say more than that. Do you want a sandwich? I brought extra ones." She said, taking out two sandwiches from her bag.

"Yeah, thanks."

"Inoue told me she was bringing snacks, but thought it'd be for our best interest if I brought _normal_ food." She said, alluding to Orihime's peculiar habit of making the strangest combinations that, more often than not, weren't edible.

Ichigo laughed for the first time since the trip started. "You're a life saver. And now the rest are stuck with Inoue's snacks."

"Karma's a bitch."

"Ain't it."

While they munched on their sandwiches, they made small talk. They asked each other about their families. Rukia's brother was on a business trip on Hong Kong, and would be back in two weeks. Karin and Yuzu were already in high school, and apparently were pretty popular with the male population, much to their brother's and father's dismay. And speaking about their father, good ol' Kurosaki Isshin was doing well, crazy as ever, and with more energy that a man his age ought to have. Then they talked about their classes. Ichigo had almost failed one of his law classes, but managed to pass it after many cramming sessions. Rukia had had problems with some of her classmates on her business classes due to her family, which didn't sit well with Ichigo.

"Don't worry, I already solved everything." She said, calmly.

"If you say so." He said, not at all convinced. Rukia had a tendency to keep things to herself and suffer in silence.

A whole hour went by with them catching up. Ichigo felt as if he had missed a lot, but that, at the same time, nothing had changed. Rukia was the same as she had always been. Seventeen months hadn't transformed her into the idea he had had of her in his mind. He thought she might have become more ambitious, perhaps colder or more frivolous, enough to fit into the ideal her family wanted of her. He was pleasantly surprised to find she was still kind, warm, and silly. She wasn't the Kuchiki Ice Princess everyone expected her to be. She was still the Rukia he fell in love with, and that hurt, because she remained an amazing person, one that wasn't in his life anymore.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo." She said at length.

He raised an eyebrow. "What for?"

"I shouldn't have come. You probably were expecting to have fun with your friends, and now you're stuck with me." She apologized, not meeting his searching eyes.

"That's true. But you wanted to have fun too, right? That's why you came."

"When Inoue asked me to come, she told me she had asked you and you were okay with it. Promise." Rukia continued saying, evading his question.

"I believe you. They probably set us up." His friends were a piece of work. Of course they had tried to make him happy in the worst way possible. Reminding him of what he used to have, and didn't anymore.

"If I had known…"

"What? You would've kept hiding?" Ichigo said harsher than he intended. But suddenly everything was too much. He hadn't seen Rukia in seventeen months! And when he did, it was because of his friends' plan not because she had actively searched him.

"Ichigo…" She whispered. "I'm sorry for coming and being an inconvenience."

"Why are you apologizing for? Did you or didn't you want to come?"

"I… I wasn't… I mean, I didn't…" Rukia stammered, at a loss for words.

"Then why _did_ you come?"

"I wanted to see you." Rukia blurted out, surprising them both.

" _What?_ " Had he heard correctly?

"I wanted to see you." She said louder this time. "I wanted to see you, and be around you even for a bit. All this time, I've missed you. I wanted to talk to you before, but I didn't have the guts. And I know you probably don't want to listen to all this, not after what I did, but I _had_ to say it. I've missed you, and I wanted to see how you're doing. I wanted to hear your voice, hear your laughter. This seventeen months have been hell for me. And I know I don't have the right to complain, or demand anything from you. I'm being selfish, but I might as well just say it. I regret breaking up with you, and if you don't mind I'd like for us to be friends again, because I not only lost my boyfriend, I also lost my _best friend_." At the end of her speech, Rukia was breathless, and her cheeks had turned red either because of embarrassment or lack of breath.

Ichigo remained silent for a long minute. At first he had been utterly surprised. All this time he had thought Rukia hadn't wanted to have anything to do with him, that he had disgusted her in some way. _"You and I don't belong together!"_ She had shouted at him when she left him, and those words had haunted him ever since. He had lay awake countless nights thinking about it, wondering when he went wrong. "Why?" He blurted out before he could stop himself.

"I'm sorry?" Rukia asked him, clearly confused.

He hadn't wanted to speak about it, but it seemed as if this would be the only time he'd be able to get some answers. _It's now or never_. "Why did you break up with me? And don't you dare lie to me, Rukia!"

"I… I did it for you…" She mumbled, trying to hide her face with her bangs, but failing miserably since they were too short.

"What?! That doesn't make any sense!"

"I thought you'd be better off without me. Promise!" She yelled. "I'm _always_ going to be a Kuchiki. I'm always going to be a noble, and I will have to meet certain expectations all my life. Whoever is with me, will be tied down to the same world. And I know you hate nobles, Ichigo! That you hate that world for what they did to your father. I didn't want to tie you down to that world, and take your freedom away. So I, quite foolishly actually, thought the best way for you to be happy was to break up with you. I thought you'd realize it was better this way. Then, I understood you weren't happy at all every time I saw you from afar, or when I talked to Inoue. That I had, in fact, broken you with all the shit I told you. I had hurt us both by being an idiot, and I'm sorry, I really am."

"You moron." Ichigo said, but he wasn't angry. "You're so stupid, Rukia. Yeah, I hate them. I hate them for what they did to my father, and I hate them for what they put you through. But I wouldn't have chosen my hatred for them over what I had with you. And if you didn't know that, then I failed at showing my feelings." He said dejectedly.

"Hey, you didn't fail." She said, gently taking his hands in hers. "I'm just insecure, Ichigo. I'm sorry."

He sighed. "I can't say it's alright. I was hurt. Still am. But I sorta get where you're coming from, and I can say that you're truly sorry. So, I forgive you."

Rukia beamed at him with that smile which never failed to make his heart beat faster. "Does this mean we can be friends again?"

Ichigo stopped and pondered for a moment. What did this really mean for them? Then he remembered something that had been nagging him for a while. More specifically, a red-headed man. "What about Renji?"

Rukia blinked at him. "What about him?"

"Won't he get mad?" He tried again.

Understanding dawned on Rukia. "Renji and I have never been together. Those were just rumors." She dismissed it. Ichigo's heart skipped a beat. "If that's your only reservation, does this mean we can be friends again?" She asked with hope in her voice.

"No." Ichigo said fast. The girl instantly froze, her eyes glazing with tears. "I will never be able to be _just_ friends with you, Rukia." He said earnestly, and then threw caution to the wind by shortening the distance between them and kissing her.

Rukia's eyes went wide, but then started kissing him just as fervently, her arms grabbing his neck and pulling him closer. The kiss soon turned heated, their hands exploring the bodies they knew so well, as they tasted each other. Ichigo pulled her to his lap, and started kissing her neck and shoulders, while his hands roamed her sides, pausing slowly right next to her breasts. Rukia was moaning and gasping. They were in cloud 9, but soon came crashing down when they heard a tapping on the window. They immediately separated and looked at the driver's window. Ishida had tapped the window, and next to him Orihime, Tatsuki and Keigo were peering down, while Mizuiro and Chad stood at a safe distance. The couple turned red.

Ichigo rolled down the window. "What the hell?!" He yelled.

Ishida cleared his throat. "Sorry to interrupt, but we've been searching for you for the past hour."

Inoue looked sheepish. "Sorry, Kurosaki-kun, but when you didn't appear we thought something bad had happened to you."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Don't think I don't know this was a trap, and it had the intended purposes. But I'll let it slide. Ishida, guide the way already."

Rukia giggled a bit, and went back to her own seat. Ichigo shook his head. Of course Ishida must have been the mastermind, with help from the rest. The traitors. As he watched the others go to Chad's van, an idea hit him.

"After you, Ishida-kun." Orihime said gently.

"N-no, after you, Inoue-san." Ishida stuttered, blushing.

Ah, there it was. He was going to get back at him for the awkwardness and embarrassment.

"What are you thinking?" Rukia said knowingly.

"Nothing." He answered, smirking.

"Well, this was unexpected." Rukia said as they followed the van. "I honestly didn't think this would happen."

"Really?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "There was honestly one expected outcome."

Rukia smiled. "I should've known."

"You won't get rid of me that easily, _girlfriend_."

"Right back at ya, _boyfriend_."

Then, they laced their fingers together, as they drove to the cabin.

It was the perfect weekend.


	2. Gentle Caress

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Summary:** Happy IchiRuki Month everyone! I'm so excited and I'm trying to work hard to finish all prompts. Well, before anything else, let me thank you everyone who read the previous one-shot, and who took the time to review this story as well as follow it and put it in their favorites. You guys all rock! Now, this week's prompt is basically "Agent of the Shinigami + Soul Society Arc," so it's about the very beginning of Bleach. My inspiration for this one-shot was Memories In The Rain. I've said it before and I'll say it again, that mini arc was the moment in which Ichigo's and Rukia's dynamic changed and they became closer. We then understood more about it when we saw Memories In The Rain Part 2. I have written about this arc before, but I've never truly wrote anything about it in Rukia's POV, so this was the perfect opportunity to do so. I really hope you like it, even if it's short.

Until tomorrow!

P.S. I wrote this one-shot while it was raining.

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 **Reviews**

 **Guest:** ¡Muchas gracias!

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Gentle Caress

 **Summary:** A lost memory in the rain.

 **Prompt:** Missing Scene

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It had been raining heavily, so hard their clothes had gotten drenched in a matter of seconds, but it seemed that it had already stopped. Rain had mixed with blood, staining her dress as well as his robes, not that Rukia minded about that. She was more focused on the boy lying with his head on her lap, than something as insignificant as blood. He was majorly injured, from a gash on his face to possibly a lot of bruises on his arms and legs. The deep stab on his stomach was the most pressing wound he had. It had been nearly fatal. Rukia took a moment to breathe, then started using kidou to heal him.

"Nee-san." She had hardly heard Kon's voice with all the noise the rain drops made as they hit the ground.

"Don't worry…" The shinigami addressed him. The modified soul could act all he wanted as if he didn't care about Ichigo, but Rukia knew the truth. He had been worried about the boy losing and dying. _That makes two of us_. "A shinigami's life force is their amount of spiritual energy… To not die from these wounds… The idiot's strength is quite something…" She said in wonder, reassuring both Kon as well as herself. _He won't die. I won't let him._

She observed the boy quietly. Even when unconscious, his brows were set in what appeared to be a permanent frown. That amused her. _He's but a boy. He really could have died._ The thought shook her to her very core. Unwanted memories raided her mind, of a night just like this one, rain falling heavily and a body that fell on her own, just like Ichigo had fallen earlier, blood spilling on her cheeks. _That_ person hadn't survived, though. _But that's not Ichigo. He is alright._ Rukia reminded herself, silently chastising herself for having such intrusive thoughts. "For being able to survive…Ichigo…thank you!" She exclaimed, her voice shaking brokenly. She was so pathetic, almost crying over a human boy, when she was a Shinigami and knew the laws of nature. Ichigo would die one day, she knew that deep down. _But not today, not because of me!_

Rukia gently put her hand over where she knew his heart would be. There she felt the steady beating that, to her ears, sounded like a constant _I live I live I live_. She sighed in relief. Ichigo would truly be alright, and he'd have an incredible story to tell one day. Of how he had almost defeated his mother's murderer and battled a hollow that more experienced Shinigami had lost and perished while fighting against it, yet he had survived, although not unscathed. Her hand, shyly at first, lied on his cheek, while she brushed the blood away. Rukia was dimly aware that Kon was watching her every move, but she didn't care. "You were so brave, Ichigo. Braver than I've ever been." She whispered. "You had me worried, you fool. But I'm glad you're alive. I won't _ever_ let you die on me, okay?" As she spoke, she continued caressing his cheek, marveling at how soft it felt. Rukia felt electric pulses run through her body as she continued with her ministrations. _What's happening?_ She hadn't felt like this in such a long time, but she knew what it meant. She was crossing a border that shouldn't be crossed. _I've always been such a fool_. She removed her hand from his cheek, and continued healing him. Sadly, her strength ran out before she could completely heal him. _This is going to hurt a lot_.

Once Ichigo was patched up, Rukia turned to look at Kon. "You won't tell him anything, will you?"

Kon, who had been patiently watching her every move, shook his head. "You know I'd never, nee-san. But maybe you should tell him yourself, y'know, when the time comes." He said cryptically.

 _Will I even be able to?_ "Thank you." She said and smiled at him. "Now come, let's return Ichigo to his body."

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That Ichigo was so predictable, he had gone straight to his mother's grave after waking up. The real question here was why she had followed him. It wasn't as if he was in danger anymore, and honestly speaking her presence would definitely be unwanted, but for some reason Rukia _didn't_ want to name, she had gone after him, careful to remain unseen, hidden in the trees. She heard him talking to his father, and her heart wrenched painfully in her chest. _He still thinks everyone should blame him for that, when it wasn't his fault._ Her mind called her a hypocrite. _That's completely different._ Guilt invaded her. _That was my fault after all. There's no one to blame but me for my cowardice_.

"You listening, Rukia?" Ichigo called her, surprising her.

 _What?_ When had Ichigo learned to perceive reiatsu? He was truly growing in more ways than one.

"Does it look like your Shinigami powers are returning?" He asked her next, but Rukia decided not to answer him. "Whether they are or not, please… let me remain a Shinigami for a while longer." He begged, making her gasp. "I want to become strong. More and more and more. Become strong, defend those that get targeted against hollows. Become strong! And defeat him!" Then Ichigo turned so he was directly facing her. "Otherwise I won't be able to face okaa-san!"

"Ichigo…" Rukia whispered. She admired his determination, and the way it could move even the biggest of mountains. She knew that, eventually, she'd have to stop his growth before _they_ found out about him, but for now, she'd let him continue growing and becoming even stronger. _Out of the two of us, you're the strongest one_. She nodded. "Of course." _Until the time comes…_ She started wondering if she'd be able to tell him when the time came, after all.

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 **A/N:** I miss Kon.


	3. And Thus the Blade

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Summary:** Thank you everyone who read my first entry for the IR Month. I hope you're enjoying it so far! You can check more fanfiction, fanart and edits in Tumblr. Also, I want to thank everyone who reviewed this story yesterday, followed it and put it in their favorites. Thank you! Now, today's prompt got me very emotional. I started re-reading early Bleach chapters and I remembered the reason why I loved Bleach so more. Character design, funny moments, clever dialogue, and interesting characters as well as plot got me hooked in a way Naruto, which I started reading before, didn't. Every day I read Bleach until I caught up with the current chapters, and then I read it every Wednesday. Soon my routine became as follows: on Tuesdays I watched the most recent episode, on Wednesdays I read the next chapter, and the rest of the week I wrote fanfiction, look up theories, and more. Bleach got me through a lot of crappy events in my life. Some days in which I was very sad, Bleach was updated and I got to laugh or become distracted by the plot. Somehow I felt that Ichigo, Rukia, and the rest of the cast helped me get through heavy stuff with their example. So this one-shot is a homage to Kubo and the beginning of this amazing series. It doesn't matter that the ending was so awful, if we keep what we love about it. I really hope you enjoy it!

Until tomorrow!

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And Thus the Blade…

 **Prompt:** Back to the very beginning

 **Summary:** One Boy. One Shinigami. The accidental encounter. And so the story of destiny began one fateful May night.

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It was supposed to be an easy mission, but Karakura Town had proved to have more surprises than Rukia could have ever imagined. There was a high concentration of souls which attracted hollows, making her job much more difficult. She was currently searching for one, which she had sensed during the wee hours of the morning, but hadn't been able to localize it yet. She had spent the better part of the day looking for it too.

"Tch. It must be near." The Shinigami said grumpily, as she hopped from one building to another. "This is getting ridiculous." She kept complaining. How could a hollow have evaded her for such a long time? Rukia worried that some poor soul or worst, a human, had gotten eaten by the loose monster.

 _And here I thought they sent me here to distract me_. Kuchiki Rukia could be many things, but she wasn't a fool. She knew that Captain Ukitake and even Kiyone and Sentarou had been worried about her ever since the _incident_. They probably thought it'd be best if she was sent to the Human World at least for a little while to clear her mind and heal. Truth be told, the wound was still fresh, and being able to escape the place where everything reminded her of _him_ was soothing. Here her mind was occupied and she didn't have the time to dwell on other things. _I wonder if nii-sama got angry that I left without letting him know_. Her adoptive brother was also a complicated matter in her life, which she had escaped from. _Probably not_. He hadn't looked at her in the eyes since he adopted her, and that had been 40 years ago.

Rukia sighed. She had lost the trail again. The last time she had been sent to the Human World, she had fought against three, maybe five, hollows. They had been pretty scarce, and her job had been peaceful. Yet this town kept surprising her. There was more job to do here than in other places, which was very strange. She wondered if the sou-taichou knew about it. Maybe they wanted her to find out on her own and report back. _This town certainly needs a Shinigami that will stay here for a few months at least. I wonder if I'll be chosen to remain here. Well, it's not like anyone would me miss back there_. Memories of a red-haired man assaulted her, a man she hadn't spoken to in decades. _Focus, Rukia_. She reprimanded herself. She was on a mission. This wasn't the time for a pity party. She really needed to find that hollow before it started attacking souls. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and focused her reiatsu to find the hollow's. She opened her eyes and smirked. "Found you."

* * *

Ichigo sighed. His family was insane. He wondered why his father continuously tried to make his life more difficult than it already was. Despite his looks and grumpiness, he actually tried to be a good son and respect the household rules. But he couldn't ignore when anyone was in need, especially kids, even if they were already dead. Could his father even imagine the burden he carried? Talking to ghosts was exhausting. They always asked him for help, but there was little he could do. Ichigo was only a human, after all. Albeit one that could see, hear, and touch ghosts. However, there was so much he could do about it. He couldn't protect them all. He had known that for a very long time, the poster downstairs being a constant reminder of it. _I'm utterly powerless_. He thought grimly. What was the use of seeing ghosts if he couldn't help them? Why was he granted such power? _I want to be stronger_.

The current situation piqued his interest, though. _I wonder how ghosts can go to heaven, and why they seem unable to do so by themselves_. And speaking of which, there had been a large amount of souls appearing before him for help lately. It was unusual. Had people been dying a lot lately? Or was there a problem in heaven? He shrugged. There was no way he could know about it. Although it was getting annoying having so many ghosts around. Perhaps there was a god out there or something that could help the poor souls.

He continued walking to his room, unaware that his life was about to change.

"Jeez, why's everyone in our family like that?" He complained out loud. Then a strange occurrence caught his attention. "A black swallow-tail butterfly?" He questioned as his eyes focused on the insect. "What is this? Where did it come from?"

From the corner of his eye, Ichigo saw something coming through his room's wall. He turned fully to see what was going on. Wide-eyed, he saw a person with black robes walking in through the wall. The strange person was short, had black hair and a sword at his side. "What─?" The boy mumbled, quite shocked.

"It is near." The strange person said, completely ignoring Ichigo's existence.

"'It is near' my ass!" Ichigo shouted, as he kicked the person.

That surely got his attention. As the boy yelled one question after another, the person seemed surprised at Ichigo's presence. "Y-you can see me…? I mean to say, did you just kick…?" The stranger stuttered.

"Huh? What the hell are you talking about? Of course I can see…"

Then, of course his father interrupted him, kicking him for making a ruckus. When asked about the stranger on Ichigo's room, Isshin was clueless.

"It is useless." The stranger spoke. "It is not possible for ordinary men to see me. I am a Shinigami."

* * *

The boy was the most peculiar being Rukia had ever met. He was a human, but he possessed the unnatural ability of being able to not only see Shinigami, but to also touch one. He seemed used to being able to see ghosts on a daily basis as well, which was uncanny to put it simply. But to her annoyance, this human boy didn't want to believe she was no ordinary spirit, but a death god itself.

"Dad couldn't see you, so I'll acknowledge the fact that you're not human. However, quit the Shinigami crap. Got it, you little brat?" His words made Rukia's eyes twitch. Oh, he was so going to pay for daring to talk to her in such a way.

"First restraint, obstruction!" The Shinigami used kidou to restrain the boy. _He had it coming_. She smirked as his body tied itself together and he fell down. _See if you don't believe me now_.

"What did you do?!" The boy complained. Rukia stepped on him, still smirking.

"You cannot move!" She laughed. "This is called kidou, and it is an advanced incantation only Shinigami can use." She explained. "Even though I look like this, I have been alive almost ten times longer than you have. And you dare call me a brat? Usually, I would kill fellows like you, but spiritual law states that one cannot kill humans they have not been ordered to kill." Rukia bluffed. She had never killed a human before, but the human boy didn't need to know that.

After performing konsou on a soul, Rukia figured she better explain everything to the boy. He looked utterly confused, and she pitied him. It seemed that, even if he possessed the power to see the dead, he was as clueless as the rest of humans. _A guy like this could very well be the meal of a hollow. Better prepare him_. "In this world there are two types of spirits. One is called plus and it is the most common spirit. You can say that the 'ghosts' you usually see are these. And the other type is called hollow. Hollows attack living beings and dead beings alike and eat their souls. These are what you call 'evil spirits.'" She used drawings to illustrate each of them, hoping this would make the explanation clearer for the human. "Do you have any questions so far?"

"Ummm… Can I start by asking why your drawings abnormally suck?"

 _You little!_ She took revenge by drawing a moustache on the boy.

"Ah! Damnit! Just 'cause I can't move!"

"I will continue the explanation, your highness Mr. Baron." Rukia mocked him. "We Shinigami have two duties. One is to guide pluses to Soul Society using konsou as you have seen. The second is to extinguish hollows. That is my current mission."

"Wait a minute. If you came here on your mission, does that mean the thing called hollow is around here?"

"That would be the case." She nodded.

"Are you stupid?! Why are you loitering in a place like this? Hurry up and go get rid of it!" The boy yelled angrily.

"Well… you see… I do not know why, but I cannot feel its presence anymore." Rukia answered. It was very strange. She had been so sure it was in close proximity, but she had quickly lost sight of its reiatsu. _What is going on? How did I lose it again?_

"What do you mean?" The boy asked, and then grew awfully quiet. Rukia wasn't paying attention to him anymore.

"It is as if a great power is hindering my senses." She muttered out loud.

"Hey! Shinigami!" The boy suddenly yelled.

"What?" Rukia said grumpily.

"What do you mean what?! Didn't you hear that huge voice just now?!"

She was surprised by that statement. "Huge voice? What…?" And then she heard it. It was loud and deep. A noise that could quite literally chill your soul. The unmistakable sound of a hollow's roar. _Unbelievable._ How had the human boy heard the voice before her? Then they heard the cry of a girl, the boy's sister. _Crap. I need to act fast or they'll die_. "I will go and get rid of it! You stay here!" She said, ignoring all of his protests. _This boy truly has a death wish_. She opened the door and came across a girl, lying on the floor and with noticeable wounds on her body.

"Ichi-nii, you okay?" She asked, and then proceeded to explain the situation.

 _This is bad._ Rukia thought. _The father is hurt, as well as two girls. I need to be quick_. "Do not worry. She is just unconscious. Her soul is still…" Rukia started explaining, but then she noticed how the how started struggling. "Stop it! What are you doing?! You cannot release that incantation with a human's power! If you force it, your soul will…" However, she was interrupted. The boy broke the kidou and started running downstairs.

 _Just… what exactly is he?_ Rukia wondered, completely astounded.

* * *

Ichigo had seen many strange things during the fifteen years he had been alive. Yet, this, this _thing_ was the weirdest, scariest being he had ever lay eyes on. What was worse was that the monster had hurt his family and was about to eat his sister. He couldn't hesitate or be scared, he needed to act, and fast. So before the monster could hurt Yuzu more than it already had, he launched to attack it, armed only with a baseball bat. However, his attempt was ineffective and resulted in the hollow hitting him. He landed painfully on the ground, and had only time to see the monster approaching him. On the last second, the Shinigami reappeared, cutting down the arm which held Yuzu. Ichigo dashed and caught the unconscious girl.

"Yuzu! Hey! You okay?" He asked, moving his sister a little bit to get her to open her eyes.

"Do not lose focus, boy!" The Shinigami yelled at him, sword at the front of her boy, in a defensive position. "None of your family members have had their souls eaten."

"None?" Ichigo questioned, caught of ward. _Are they all still alive?_

"Yes, even your father lying over there."

"Wait a minute! Don't hollows attack people to eat their souls?! Then why did it attack my family?" Ichigo asked again.

"Hollows wander searching for souls with high spiritual concentration… For that arbitrary humans are attacked…"

Ichigo gulped. He already had an idea where this was going. "What do you mean?"

"…I have never seen or heard of a human who could see Shinigami and defeat kidou on their own… or a human with such high spiritual concentration…" She said cryptically. "Most probably, its target is you."

Those were the words Ichigo was dreading to hear. _Because of me! Because of me they're hurt! No, not again. Not again!_ His mind screamed. "He came for me? So does that mean this is my fault? The reason my dad's over there almost dead… The reason Karin and Yuzu are covered in blood… It's all…" His heart broke. Suddenly, in his mind, it was raining, and it wasn't just his father and sisters who were hurt, but a beautiful woman, drenched in blood, rain and tears.

"Wait!" The Shinigami said alarmed. "I did not mean…" She got distracted and got hit by the hollow, landing on the ground with a painful thud.

"Shinigami!" Ichigo yelled worriedly. _Fuck, it's even my fault that the Shinigami got hurt_. This made him mad. Ichigo faced the hollow, anger pulsing in his veins. "That's enough already!" He yelled at the monster. "Hey, you want my soul, right?" He said. "Then fight me face to face! No one else has anything to do with this! Try killing me and taking my soul!" _For dad, Yuzu, Karin, and the Shinigami_. He readied himself for the impact, which never came for the Shinigami jumped at the last minute, taking the blow for him. Blood spilled from her body, and she fell on her knees, sporting a terrible wound on her abdomen. She had sacrificed herself to protect him. "Shinigami!" Ichigo screamed. _This can't be happening_.

"You idiot." She gasped, voice raspy. "I already told you your power is no match for it. Or did you think that everything would be over if you gave him your soul to eat? Either way you're an idiot!" She scolded him.

Ichigo felt foolish. _She saw right through my motive and knew I'd fail_. "I'm sorry… I just─"

"Do not worry about it, is what I would like to say…" The Shinigami said between heavy breathing. "Unfortunately, I am no longer able to fight the hollow… Now all of us can only wait until we become its food." She said with such finality, Ichigo knew it was the truth.

 _It's my fault everyone'll die_. He thought in agony. He had gone and done it again. The Shinigami watched him carefully, as if weighing down something.

"Do you want to save your family?" She asked.

"Is there a way?! Tell me!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"There is a way… No, to be exact there is only one way." She explained, then grabbed her sword and pointed it at him. "You need to become a Shinigami."

"What are you saying? How can I?"

"You can! Pierce the middle of your chest with this zampakutou and I will insert half of my Shinigami power! That way you will attain the power of a Shinigami temporarily and will be able to fight it on equal terms."

"Is it really okay to do something like that?" Ichigo asked, knowing there must be a catch.

Rukia sighed. "I do not know… Of course this is a plan set up anticipating your high spiritual levels… The percentage of success is not high. If it fails, you'll die. However, there is no other way. There is no time to deliberate!" She admonished him. Ichigo gulped. Then he heard Yuzu calling for him and knew his mind was already made up. _Why are all of them worrying about me when they're about to die? Makes me who's being scared of himself look stupid_.

"Give me the sword, Shinigami!" Ichigo said with resolve, walking towards the spirit. "Let's give it a try." She smiled at him.

"It is not Shinigami. It is Kuchiki Rukia." The Shinigami introduced herself.

Ichigo smiled. "I see… I'm Kurosaki Ichigo."

Thus the blade is swung down.

* * *

 **A/N:** I got inspired by Bleach Chapter 1 and 0. Side A and B.


	4. The Power to Crush Destiny

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Summary:** First of all, let me thank everyone for reading these one-shots, reviewing, and putting this story in your favorites. Every time I read your reviews I get happy. Now, as for today's prompt, I love the SS Arc with all my heart, as well as the quote that served as prompt for today's fanfiction. However, I had a hard time writing something for this prompt and now I realize why. Fun story, I didn't always ship IchiRuki, outrageous, right? Anyway, I used to ship RenRuki and I was still shipping it when I read this particular chapters of Ichigo's fight against Byakuya. However, this may or may not have been the very scene which made me ship IR, but I didn't know for a while how to express it. I like to think that Ichigo's thoughts during this fight never strayed far from Rukia and his main goal of defeating Byakuya so he wouldn't get the chance to hurt Rukia. So, here's a retelling of the fight with a dose of IR, because why not? I doubt Ichigo's thoughts strayed far from what I wrote here. I hope you like it, and get as nostalgic as I got!

Until tomorrow!

* * *

The Power to Crush Destiny

 **Prompt:** "The power in my hands was gained for her sake."

 **Summary:** There was only one reason he had achieved so much. It was all for her.

* * *

Kuchiki Byakuya had to be the proudest Shinigami he had ever encountered. He was also the one Shinigami whose intentions Ichigo couldn't quite understand. Because who just lets their own sister be executed without doing anything? What is worse, who apprehends their sister and takers her to the place where she will be executed? It made no sense to Ichigo, who was an older brother himself. He had tried to figure out why, but he had come up empty. _What's with you, Kuchiki Byakuya?_ The only thing he knew for sure was that, if he didn't defeat him, Kuchiki Byakuya would be the very one stopping him from saving Rukia, which at this point he couldn't afford. Hopefully, Renji would get Rukia to safety and give him enough time to defeat Byakuya.

Both men's swords clashed displaying all of their strength. "I told you! I can see your every move, Kuchiki Byakuya!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"Why…?" The older man started saying, surprising the human boy. "Why do you so persistently try to save Rukia?" He asked.

 _That's the question, isn't it? But even if I answered, you wouldn't be able to understand_. He thought, but decided not to voice his thoughts. "I'm the one who should be asking questions! Aren't you Rukia's older brother? Why aren't you trying to help Rukia at all?" Ichigo demanded.

"What a pointless question. Even if I tell you the answer to that question, you would not be able to understand." Byakuya, unknowingly, returned Ichigo's own words back to him. "It is useless to continue this empty dialogue. Here I come."

Byakuya then attacked him, with so much force he would have had the upper hand of the battle immediately had Ichigo been just like before. But he wasn't. He had changed. He was far stronger now than he had ever been. He stood his ground, and looked at Byakuya pointedly.

"It looks like there is only one way to end this." The older Shinigami spoke. "Kurosaki Ichigo, I will kill you." He declared. "Then, with my own hands, I will carry out Rukia's execution."

Ichigo tensed. "No, that's not going to happen." He smiled. "I came here to make sure of that." _There's no way I'll let you lay a single finger on her._

Byakuya didn't answer to that, and thus the fight started, with their swords clashing continuously. Kuchiki Byakuya excelled at swordsmanship, and had centuries of experience under his belt, but with each second the battle prolonged, and he was unable to cut the human in front of him, he realized Kurosaki Ichigo was a natural. He had mastered moves it took Shinigami years to learn. That annoyed him to no end. He tried to cut him down once again, but Ichigo got out of the way.

"Interesting. You were able to master shunpo as well." Byakuya spoke gravely. "However, you're really taking it easy, aren't you?"

Ichigo smirked. "You've been casually analyzing my strength… Is it really a good idea to only do that? Aren't you going to attack me?" _I'm done with you underestimating me, Kuchiki Byakuya._ "You haven't even been able to scratch me once. Can it be this is the best you can do?" The young human taunted. "Hurry up and use Bankai!" _I'll defeat you at your strongest._

Byakuya, however, didn't even blink.

"Earlier you said that you were going to kill me, and then execute Rukia with your own hands." Ichigo spoke again.

"So?" The captain asked, not understanding why the human boy dragged the fight only to talk.

"I don't like it!" Ichigo complained. "I'm going to use everything I have to defeat you! I'll beat you until you have no strength left!" _This is why I trained so much. I'm gonna make you pay!_ "To execute your own sister with your own two hands? What a sick joke!" He grumbled. "No matter what reasons you have, under whatever circumstances, don't ever say that in front of Rukia again." Ichigo threatened the older Shinigami with such seriousness he looked older than a teenager. "Use your Bankai! I will destroy it!" Ichigo said again. "Then I will take you to Rukia and make you cry wile apologizing to her!" _What you've done to her is unforgivable. I won't let you hurt her again_. Ichigo thought.

Byakuya narrowed his eyes. "What a shallow taunt, brat!" Ichigo's words had hit a nerve. "No matter what you say, I will not change my mind about Rukia's fate and yours." He'd kill them all if he had to. "You want me to use Bankai? Do not forget your place, brat. It is a thousand years too early for you to become worthy enough to die by my Bankai." Then the Shinigami grabbed his sword and released its Shikai. "Scatter, Sebonzakura."

Ichigo watched attentively as millions of sakura petals started forming a circle around his opponent. Not so long ago, he might have underestimated Byakuya and even laughed a little at his power being sakura flowers. He was much wiser now. One thing he had learned through this whole ordeal was to _never_ take his eyes from his opponent in a battle, much less if said opponent was Kuchiki Byakuya. He waited for the impact, and then release his own attack, creating an explosion. Byakuya's eyes widened as he watched all this, clearly surprised. Blood started dripping from his arm, and a dull pain hit him. He soon realized the boy had managed to hurt him.

"What was that flash of light? Was that the ability of your zampakutou?" He asked the boy, trying to remain as impassive as ever.

"Yeah." Ichigo answered, narrowing his eyes. He then proceeded to explain his ability, never taking his eyes off of Byakuya, knowing full well the older man was already calculating an approach to defeat him. "That is Zangetsu's special power. I've never been able to do an aimed shot before. Until today, I didn't even know how I made this happen." He got serious again. "Urahara-san once said to me 'the only thing I can teach you is preparation.' I didn't know what he meant until I trained with Zangetsu." Ichigo recalled meeting his zampakutou and being able to train with him. It had been difficult, but he hadn't cared. He was much worried about something else. He had begged to learn an attack that could help him defeat Kuchiki Byakuya and anyone who got in his way. He couldn't afford to lose when there was more at stake than his life. "The name of my attack is Getsuga Tenshou." He informed his opponent. "I'll say it again, Kuchiki Byakuya. Fight me with your Bankai! I will definitely defeat you!" _Getsuga Tenshou isn't the only thing Zangetsu taught me. I'll defeat you when you least expect it!_

"What an arrogant name." Byakuya muttered. "So be it. Since you so strongly desire to see my Bankai, witness it with your eyes and remember it well…" He kept saying, dropping his sword, which remained floating.

Ichigo did not feel so cocky. _He let go of the sword?_ He wondered, both parts amazed and frightened.

"Do not worry. You will not regret it." Byakuya kept speaking. "Before you can do that, you will most certainly be rendered into dust before of me." He proclaimed suddenly as thousands of blades appeared around him. "Bankai. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi." Then, the blades transformed into petals, which rushed towards Ichigo. The boy quickly used his own sword to deflect the attack, while Byakuya observed. Ichigo jumped, trying to get away from the attack, but it was useless for the petals followed him. "Naïve." Byakuya commented, his eyes never straying from his adversary. Soon, the petals surrounded Ichigo and covered him completely. "The strength of Senbonzakura lies in its ability to attack with its countless many blades from all directions. The strength of your zampakutou is great, however it is impossible to doge Senbonzakura's attack using such a slow technique." He explained as the petals dispersed, and he could see Ichigo again, lying in a pool of his own blood.

"Hah, damn… I thought I had it…" Ichigo said between gulps of breath. "But I guess not. It's only logical that by using Shikai it's impossible to beat Bankai. I totally underestimated you."

"Be careful in your choice of words, brat. You sound as if you have acquired Bankai."

"Yeah, that's exactly what I was implying, Kuchiki Byakuya!" Ichigo exclaimed. _I've got you where I wanted!_

"What did you say?" Byakuya asked astonished.

"You respond with a question? You know you heard me. You don't believe me, do you? So it doesn't matter if I say it a second or third time. If you refuse to believe my words, what about your own two eyes, Kuchiki Byakuya?!" Ichigo exclaimed as Byakuya stared at him with a mix of shock, anger and disgust. "Watch carefully. This is my Bankai!" Ichigo said, swinging his sword back in preparation. He stood his ground and concentrated all of his energy into the sword. He thought about everything he had done to accomplish this. All the battles he had fought and lost, and the ones he had won. His training with Urahara, his training with Yoruichi and his training with Zangetsu. He let all of his spiritual energy surround him as a shield. Next, he swung his sword forward, holding it in front of him. A single image appeared in his mind. He would not yield. He was going to win. "Bankai! A gust of wind enveloped him, and when it cleared it revealed Ichigo wearing a modified version of his robes as well as a black and sleek sword. "Tensa Zangetsu!"

"What is that thing?" Byakuya questioned, flabbergasted. "That small objects is his Bankai?" He wondered. "Isn't that just the normal sealed form of your zampakutou?" The captain pondered for a moment. "I see… with the execution. With the Bankai." He put two and two together and was displeased. "It seems that you really enjoy stepping on our pride. Then I shall carve on your body the penalty for violating our pride!"

 _Pride? It always comes down to your pride._ Ichigo thought angrily, and flash stepped until he was in front of Byakuya, the tip of Zangetsu just below Byakuya's throat. "Does that 'pride' thing have anything to do with Rukia's execution?" He asked dangerously. "If so, then I'll step on it just as you said." He then straightened up and pointed his sword towards Byakuya. "For the power in my hands was gained for her sake!" He yelled.

His mind flashed him images of Rukia. Of the first time they met, of Rukia suddenly appearing at his school as his new classmate, of Rukia teaching him how to defeat hollows and how to perform konso, Rukia getting angry at him, Rukia smiling, Rukia hitting Kon, Rukia being there for him when he went against Grand Fisher, Rukia crying while telling him to stop his mindless fight with Byakuya. Lastly, Rukia at the Sokyoku, waiting for her death. His heart beat to the rhythm of a single name. _Rukia Rukia Rukia_. There was no way he'd let her die, least of all at the hands of her own brother. No, he was going to win. Everything he had done and achieved was all for her. He'd win, and then he'd take Rukia back with him and they'd resume their days together. _You'll live Rukia. Live and smile._ With this thought in mind, he charged. He had nothing to fear. He had gained power enough to crush Rukia's destiny with his bare hands.

* * *

 **A/N:** Ichigo looked hella hot in these chapters.


	5. The One Who Dried the Rain

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Summary:** Again, thank you everyone for reading these one-shots, reviewing, and putting this story in your favorites. You're awesome! Now, today's prompt was tricky because I knew exactly which scene I wanted to re-write and add something of my own, but I also didn't want it to be too OOC. I hope I succeeded and I hope you like my addition to this iconic IR scene. I also apologize because this entry is short in comparison to the others. Anyway, with this prompt we say goodbye to the Agent of the Shinigami + Soul Society week, and we welcome the AU week, which is my favorite, to be honest. I hope you enjoy it, and we'll see each other again next week!

* * *

The One Who Dried the Rain

 **Prompt:** Scene Re-write

 **Summary:** It wasn't raining anymore. All because of her.

* * *

The moment he heard she was missing, Ichigo searched for Rukia everywhere. Along with Inoue, he looked for her in all places they thought she could beHowever, Rukia was nowhere to be found. They had asked Renji, but he didn't know, and Byakuya, who was still resting, didn't seem to know either. _Where are you?_ He questioned. She couldn't have possibly disappeared. She must be somewhere close. He was sure of it. Ichigo and Inoue kept searching, eventually running into Rangiku and the others. But he didn't ask for Rukia's whereabouts, knowing she wasn't there.

"Hey, Kurosaki-kun, shouldn't we ask Rangiku-san and the others?" Inoue asked him.

"Nah." He said, shrugging. "If Renji doesn't know where he went, then I doubt Rangiku-san and the others will know." He continued saying, without turning to look at Inoue. "You searched everywhere in the city with your rikka, right? So there's only one place left to look!"

Ichigo just followed what a tug in his heart which was telling him where Rukia would be and ran towards _that_ place. Somehow, he knew exactly where she would be. He didn't even questioned himself. He just knew. He arrived and immediately saw her, speaking to Ganju and Kukkaku. She was wearing a violet kimono with white flowers, and was wiping blood from her nose. Apparently Kukkaku-san had punched her.

"Oh, there you are." Ichigo said to gain her attention.

"Ichigo, Inoue." Rukia turned around and acknowledged them. She seemed surprised to see them there.

"Looks like you've finished here, so let's go." He ordered her, while still trying to appear nonchalant. "Tomorrow they'll open the door to send us back to the living world. You haven't completely recovered yet, so to prepare for tomorrow, you should rest!" He continued saying.

Rukia blinked twice. Then, her eyes went downcast. "Yes, about that… I have something to tell you."

Now, that certainly surprised Ichigo, who stood in front of her, wide eyed.

"I've decided to stay in Soul Society." She finally said.

The wind blew around them. A million thoughts raised in Ichigo's mind as he stared into Rukia's eyes, searching. When he was finally satisfied at what he saw, he smiled.

"I see… That's good."

"Huh?" Rukia blurted, clearly expecting Ichigo to say something else.

The atmosphere grew awkward. Ichigo scratched his head, feeling embarrassed. "Heh… since you decided for yourself…" He trailed off. He then gulped and continued speaking. "If you actually want to stay here…" He started saying again, remembering the events of that rainy night in which Rukia had been taken away. "Isn't that a good thing?" He finished, smiling for good measure. However, he was partially lying. It wasn't a good thing for him, no matter how you saw it. Yet, his negative feelings disappeared the moment she smiled back at him. _I remember now… the reason why I wanted to save you so much…_ He thought. It was simpler, actually, than what he had been telling others. The feeling made him feel fuzzy inside.

"Yeah, it's good." Rukia admitted. "But that doesn't mean you'll get rid of me so easily. Before you expect it, I'll be back." She threatened playfully. Then she smiled mysteriously at him.

 _Does she know?_ Ichigo wondered. He, then, locked eyes with her. He knew. She knew. And it was alright.

The following day, they all stood in front of the Senkaimon, waiting to return to their home. Ichigo waited until Rukia had said goodbye to the rest of the group to approach her. He smiled warmly at her. "See ya, Rukia." _Tell me you know_.

"Yeah…" She beamed at him. She had never looked as beautiful as in that moment, smiling at him and her eyes sparkling in a way they had never done before, and all because of him. "Thank you, Ichigo." Rukia said just as Ichigo had started walking towards the gate. He stopped in his tracks. _You know_. He thought, and quickly turned around and started walking towards her. Everyone looked stunned as Ichigo stood closely in front of Rukia and whispered a few words in her ear. The girl blushed, snorted and shook her head. She whispered something back, which caused Ichigo to turn red as well. After a few words more, Ichigo started walking again towards his waiting friends.

"Really, thank you, Ichigo." Rukia whispered just before the Senkaimon closed.

 _That's my line_. Ichigo thought, still thinking about Rukia and her tender smile. _Thank you, Rukia. Thanks to you, I think the rain has stopped_. And it indeed had, all because of her.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for any mistakes. I didn't edit before submitting. Sorry about that.


	6. The Perfect Cup

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Summary:** We're back! Another week of the IR Month, and now it's time for some AUs. To be honest I was having a hard time coming up with something for today's prompt, but then I got too excited and got carried away. I could write a short fanfiction of about five or six chapters about everything I wanted to write for this AU, but I think this will have to do for now. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it, and sorry if the ending seems rushed. Again, I want to thank everyone who has followed this series of one-shots. Thank you all for your kind words!

Until tomorrow!

* * *

The Perfect Cup

 **Prompt:** Coffee Shop

 **Summary:** When Ichigo starts working at Urahara's coffee shop, things don't go as planned with crazy customers, his weird boss, and his bitchy manager. On second thought, maybe his manager isn't so bad.

* * *

 _"You must get a job, son!"_ Kurosaki Isshin, Ichigo's father, had said the moment he had started college. It wasn't a ludicrous notion. Ichigo knew his father was right and that he should have a part-time job to pay for his expenses, and to contribute to the household. However, why had his father insisted he should work here? Ichigo asked himself, staring at the establishment in front of him. The building was green and had a sign which read Urahara's with bright orange letters, and had a decoration in the form of a green stripped hat. Ichigo eyed the signs in distaste. The young man had half a mind to turn away and leave entirely. He would have too if he hadn't been expected there already. Sighing, he went in. The interior looked much better than the outside. The walls were a stylish brown, the tables' wood matched the color of the walls, and it appeared that the menu had a wide selection of beverages as well as food. Standing tall, he approached the counter, where a short girl with neck-length black hair and amethyst eyes was standing.

"Welcome to Urahara's! What can I get you?" She said cheerfully.

"Actually, I'm not here to order. I'm here to meet your boss." Ichigo answered. The girl seemed surprised, then nodded and turned behind her to call her boss.

"Urahara-san! You're wanted on the counter." She said, and then smiled nervously at Ichigo.

"What is it Kuchiki-san?" A blond man, who was wearing green robes and a green stripped hat, said as he approached the counter. "Huh?" He looked at Ichigo, and then smiled widely. "My, my, if it isn't Kurosaki-san! Welcome to my humble café! I suppose you came here because of what your father told me."

"Yeah." Ichigo simply said.

"Then, come to my office!" Urahara walked around the counter, and then signaled Ichigo to follow him to a staircase. The man never said a word, but had an unnerving smile on his face the whole time. Then, on the second floor, they reached a door which said Urahara Kisuke in gold letters. The man opened the door and let his companion in. "I was genuinely surprised when your father called me! I thought he had another thing in mind when he said he needed my help to get you in the right path to adulthood." The man laughed, and covered his face with a fan he took out from his robes. "But, sit, sit. We need to talk about your wages and schedule."

Anyone who knew Ichigo was aware of the fact that he wasn't a people's person. A job which involved direct contact with customers was probably the worst type of work for him. Yet, his father had insisted that he should go to his friend's Urahara's coffee shop and ask for a job there as a waiter. Ichigo would have rejected the idea if he's father hadn't threatened to disown him if he didn't get that job right away. So here he was, with Urahara ─a weird and shaggy sort of fellow if you asked Ichigo─ listening about his wages, schedule, rules, and contract, all the while feeling like this was a terrible idea.

"You're going to have to buy the uniform, of course. It consists of black pants, a white dress shirt and a black apron over it. Quite elegant, don't you think?"

"Um… sure." Ichigo said lamely.

"You're going to start as a barista, learning how to prepare our different beverages. Is that alright with you?"

Ichigo nodded. Not that he actually cared. But he supposed it was better to be behind the scenes than actually being in contact with the customers.

"Great, then I'll see you on Monday at 4 pm sharp!"

Ichigo walked home feeling slightly better than when he had left. The wage was minimum, but his shift was decent enough, giving him time to study and do homework, as well as having Friday and Saturday nights free to go out with his friends or just rest. Urahara, who was eccentric by nature, had behaved decently enough, so he guessed he'd be a good boss. The uniform could have been more embarrassing, like having to wear a green hat. Yet, it was classy and Ichigo hoped it was comfortable too. The best part was he wouldn't be speaking to customers directly at least for a few weeks.

"How did it go, son?" Isshin asked him the moment he set foot on the house.

"Good. I start on Monday."

* * *

On Monday, Ichigo arrived at 3:55, already wearing his uniform. He entered and noticed that the girl from the other day was on the counter too, and that there was another girl waiting a table. Other than them, he didn't see other personnel.

"Oh, Kurosaki-san, you're here~!" Urahara greeted him, as he walked down the stairs.

"Hello, Urahara-san." Ichigo greeted him simply.

"Ready for your first day?"

"Yeah."

"Excellent! Now, follow me." Urahara started walking to the counter, motioning Ichigo to walk with him. They went to the other side of the counter, and walked towards the kitchen. "Staff meeting!" Urahara proclaimed. The girl on the counter followed them too.

"Do you need something, Urahara-san?" A man with a moustache and glasses asked.

"Yes, yes, but wait until everyone gathers round." Urahara answered, and Ichigo waited awkwardly by his side.

"We're all here." The girl from the counter replied, motioning to herself, the other waitress, and the man.

"What? Where's Matsumoto-san?" Urahara questioned.

"Ah, she said she had run late and will arrive in a bit." The waitress answered sheepishly.

"What will I do with Matsumoto-san? Oh well, she's good with customers." Urahara said, fanning himself. "Anyway, everyone, this is Kurosaki Ichigo, and he's going to start working here today." He pointed at the young man. The rest welcomed him with smiles on their faces. "This is Tessai-san, he's our cook." Urahara pointed to the man with the moustache, who nodded in acknowledgement. "This is Hinamori-san, and she's one of our waitresses." He then pointed to one of the girls, who had brown hair tied in a bun.

"Welcome, Kurosaki-san!" Hinamori greeted him cheerfully.

"And this is Kuchiki-san, she's currently our only barista on the afternoons, and she's the manager of this shift." He introduced the girl from the counter. "From today on, Kuchiki-san will be in charge of teaching you how to prepare coffee."

The short girl seemed dumbfounded by this. "B-but, Urahara-san, why don't you teach him yourself?"

"Nonsense, Kuchiki-san. Your coffee is excellent, even better than mine. You'll be a great teacher."

"Hai." She answered curtly.

"Well, I leave you all to your duties. Good luck, Kurosaki-san~!" And with that, he left, presumably to his office.

Both girls sighed while the man chuckled. "That's Urahara-san for you, always leaving the hard work to others."

Hinamori giggled. "Don't be mean, Tessai-san, I'm sure Urahara-san has other stuff to do. Besides, Kuchiki-san will do a great job teaching Kurosaki-san."

Rukia smiled. "Thanks for having faith in me, Hinamori. Well, Kurosaki," she then turned to Ichigo, "let's go."

Ichigo followed the girl to the counter, where she took out a bag of coffee beans, and put it right next to a coffee grinder. "Let's start. The first thing you should know is how to choose the ideal coffee beans, and then how to grind them. It's a delicate art, so pay attention."

"Delicate?" Ichigo asked. "How delicate can it be? You just grind them, right?" He said more sarcastically than he had intended.

Rukia frowned. "Fool. It requires more than just _grinding_ the beans." She huffed, sounding offending. "It's such a delicate art that a newbie like you won't understand unless explained. Now, so it's clear, I'll take the time to use illustrations to show you how." She then took out a sketch notebook from apparently nowhere, and started drawing. "First, you must choose the beans that are adequate for the type of coffee you're brewing. For example, if you're going to prepare an espresso, you must choose the bag which says espresso and not another bag." Here she drew a white bunny holding a bag with _espresso_ written on it. "Next, you put the coffee beans in the coffee grinder." She drew another bunny, grinding the beans carefully. "Then, you put it in a French press. Be sure to use a clean filter. The water must be warm, don't use cold water." Her explanation was again accompanied by the same bunny, just this time brewing coffee. "Any questions?"

Ichigo, who had been listening to the manager with a blank space on his face all this time, said. "Yeah, why do your drawings abnormally suck?"

Rukia got angry, and threw her notebook at Ichigo's head. "That's it! That was the last straw! You're on cleaning duty!"

"What?!" Ichigo yelled unnecessarily loud.

"What you heard. Grab a mop and a bucket, and start cleaning the restrooms."

"But Urahara-san said that you have to teach me how to make coffee!"

"I don't care! I'll teach you when you're ready to listen to me!"

"Guys!" Hinamori suddenly whispered.

"What?" Rukia snapped.

"You're being too loud and are scaring the customers." The other girl said, pointing towards the people at the café, who were staring at the duo with surprised expressions on their faces.

The barista sighed. "Go clean the restrooms, and then come back here." She ordered Ichigo, who huffed angrily.

"Fine."

 _What a bitch!_ Ichigo thought as he mopped the men's restroom, which was disgusting. _You could've been less rude_. A voice inside his head said. Ichigo scoffed at himself. _Shut up_. It was his first day and he had already ruined it. He definitely wasn't cut to work with other people. His father would totally kick his ass for blowing up his first job on the first day. _Whatever_. He didn't truly want to work there, anyway. He'd just find a better job.

Once he had finished cleaning the restrooms, he walked out without paying attention and crashed into a person. _Great. I just crashed into a customer. The she-devil is going to kill me_.

"Are?" He opened his eyes and found he had crashed into a woman with strawberry blonde hair, blue eyes, and a big breasts. She was also wearing the waitress's uniform. "Who are you? Are you new? You're a hottie! You're going to attract a lot of customers!" The woman kept babbling, while Ichigo felt embarrassed. _Did she just call me hottie?_

"Rangiku-san, stop pestering Kurosaki!" Rukia came to his rescue. "Today's his first day, and he's going to work with us on this shift."

Rangiku, as the woman was called, smiled and held Ichigo's hand in an energetic handshake. "Nice to meet you, I'm Matsumoto Rangiku, but you can call me Rangiku!"

"Ah, I'm Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Well, Ichigo, it's gonna be fun working with you! We'll talk later, otherwise Rukia-chan will get mad at me!" She winked at Ichigo, and then left to wait on a table.

Rukia rolled her eyes. "That's Rangiku-san for you. Always energetic unless she has work to do. Anyway, are you ready to learn now?"

Ichigo nodded.

"Then, let's get going."

* * *

After two weeks of working at Urahara's, Ichigo had started getting a hang on the job. Rukia was a demanding manager, so his first tries at brewing coffee hadn't impressed her one bit, and Rukia ordered him to try again and again until he finally brew something decent. Not long after that, Rukia put him in charge of preparing the easiest brews. He found himself enjoying his time brewing coffee, and grinding the coffee beans. It was relaxing for him. He also didn't have to deal with the customers, for he had found some were rather obnoxious. For example, every Thursday at 7 pm, a group of eight people arrived to drink coffee, but had a tendency to cause a ruckus every time they came. The first time Ichigo met him, he had been learning how to prepare lattes under Rukia's guidance when Hinamori interrupted them.

"Kuchiki-san, it's almost time!" She whispered a bit loudly, while getting the lemon cake Rukia was passing her.

"Damnit!" Rukia cursed. "Hinamori, tell Rangiku-san to get ready, please."

"On it!"

Rukia then went into the kitchen. "Tessai-san, it's time!"

"I'm ready Kuchiki-san!"

Ichigo watched this scene wide eyed. "Wait, what's going on?" He asked Rukia, who was looking intently at the door.

"You'll see."

At exactly 7, the front door opened revealing a blond man with short hair trying to avoid being hit by a short girl, who wore her blonde hair in two pigtails.

"Fuck, Hiyori, stop it already!" He yelled, covering his head with both arms as he started making his way to a table.

"Shut up, baldy!"

"I ain't bald!"

Meanwhile, all the customers sighed, and tried to get out of the way in perfect synch. Rangiku delivered coffee to a table with perfect gracefulness, not dropping a single drop of coffee. Hinamori started preparing a table, and then pulled out two chairs so that the two new customers could sit down, while they remained fighting. The chime at the door rang again, and next came two other people, a tall man with short silver hair, and a woman with green hair, who was hanging from the man's right arm.

"How many times have I told you to not grab onto me in public?!"

"Kensei, you're such a meanie! I just want your company! Or could it be you're having dirty thoughts about Mashiro?" The young woman said, obviously teasing the man.

"Shut up!" He flushed furiously, as he tried to get her off of him to no avail.

"Pervert Ken!"

"I told you to shut up!"

Similarly to the previous couple, they walked without really paying attention to their surroundings, until they settled on the chairs Hinamori had pulled for them. Then, two men came in, one with long curly blonde hair, and the other with an afro. Both were discussing passionately a romantic movie that had recently come out. Like the rest, they didn't pay any attention to where they were going, and finally settled on the table. Lastly, a young woman reading a book and a tall robust man with pink hair entered the shop in complete silence, and simply sat down with their companions.

"Welcome back!" Hinamori instantly greeted them. "May I take your orders?"

"Oh, Momo-chan!" The blond man with short-hair, better known as Shinji, greeted Hinamori with a flirty smile. "How about I take your number?"

Hinamori laughed awkwardly, and then the blonde girl hit the man with her sandal. "Stupid, baldy! You're making Hinamori uncomfortable!"

"Hit, Shinji, hit him, Hiyori!" The woman with green hair cheered.

"Oi, don't encourage her, Mashiro!" Kensei scolded her.

"You're such a party-pooper, baka-ken!"

"Oi!"

"Guys, settle down!" The pink haired man, known as Hachigen, said, trying to get them to settle down.

"Ignore them, Hachigen, they're always so lively." The man with long hair said.

"True that, Rose." His other friend said.

"I'll have a black coffee and a chocolate cake, please." The other woman, named Lisa, said, not once taking her eyes off of her book.

"I'll bring your food immediately." Hinamori said and excused herself, while the others remained fighting.

"By the way, where's that good-for-nothing of Urahara?" Shinji asked, while trying to duck from Hiyori's hits.

"I'm here, my lovely customers~! Did you miss me?" Urahara suddenly exclaimed from the stairs. Then he walked down and greeted them all. "How are you today?"

"Been better." Shinji said as he rubbed his abused head.

"Your waitress is slow as always." Hiyori complained.

"Now, be fair Hiyori, Hinamori-san waited but you guys never told her your order." Love said.

"Speaking of waiters, let me introduce you to my new employee." Urahara said, and then turned towards the counter. "Kurosaki-san, come here, boy!"

Ichigo turned to look at Rukia. _Do I have to?_ He asked her with his eyes, and she nodded, grimly. _Goddamnit_. He walked towards the table, and stood next to Urahara.

"Kurosaki-san, these are my favorite clients. Hirako Shinji, Otoribashi Rojuro, Kuna Mashiro, Aikawa Love, Muguruma Kensei, Yadomaru Lisa, Usoda Hachigen, and lastly Hiyori-chan, who used to work here not so long ago." He introduced them one by one.

"Why was I left to the end, baldy Urahara!" Hiyori exclaimed.

"I saved the best for last!"

"Yo, I'm Kurosaki Ichigo." The boy introduced himself, ignoring how Urahara was being hit by the girl.

"Berry-kun?" Mashiro said.

"What? No, my name doesn't mean strawberry!" Ichigo yelled.

"Of course it means that, berry-tan!" Mashiro kept saying, while the table laughed. Soon they all started calling him Berry, much to Ichigo's dismay.

He returned to his post at the counter, huffing angrily.

"So, what do you think of our customers, _Berry-kun_?" Rukia asked him with a smirk.

"Shut up."

Those eight idiots weren't the only annoying customers they had. Sometimes, women came in with their children, who started running around the place and couldn't be controlled. Other times, old men came in and stared lustfully at Rukia, Hinamori, and Rangiku, which didn't sit well with Ichigo. Rukia generally ignored them with poise. Hinamori had the tendency to blush and stammer when the customers flirted with them. Meanwhile, Rangiku found the situation amusing and flirted right back, to the delight of the old men.

"Rangiku-chan, it's so lovely to see you!" Kyoraku Shunsui, a frequent customer, said each time he went to the coffee shop, appreciating the way Rangiku's breasts moved when walking.

"It's nice to see you too, Kyouraku-san!" Rangiku said and winked for good measure, making the old man blush.

"Rangiku-san, please tell Rukia-san that her coffee is excellent as always." Ukitake Juushiro, Kyouraku's best friend and companion, said, complimenting Rukia's coffee.

"Actually, today Ichigo prepared your coffee, Ukitake-san." Rangiku informed him one day.

Ukitake smiled, and turned to the counter where Ichigo was working. "Ichigo-kun, you have improved a lot. You've truly learned from the best!"

Ichigo blushed and thanked the man profusely.

"See? I'm a good teacher." Rukia told him smugly.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Maybe I'm just a natural."

"You wish."

But perhaps the most annoying part of the day was when Shihouin Yoruichi came to the coffee shop. Yoruichi was Urahara's wife, who had kept her maiden name just to tease her husband. Yoruichi was a gorgeous woman, with dark skin, dark hair, and cat-like eyes. Like Urahara, Ichigo had known Yoruichi for a long time due to the fact the due were his dad's friends. Hell, he had even attended Yoruichi and Urahara's wedding as a child. Knowing his boss's wife could've been a good thing if it weren't for the fact Yoruichi was his boss's wife. She liked teasing people, and she was inclined to bother him when he was working. Yoruichi visited the shop at different times during the day. But when she came in the afternoons, Ichigo had the misfortune to have to listen to her criticism.

"Yo, Ichigo."

"Yes, Yoruichi-san?" He forced himself to be civil.

"You're doing it wrong." The older woman pointed at how he was brewing coffee.

"That's not true! I'm doing it exactly as Rukia told me!" Ichigo replied. He had started calling his manager by her first day after three days of working at Urahara's. Rukia, in turn, had started calling him by his first name as well.

"Kisuke won't be happy if you serve that coffee." The woman answered.

"Gah! I'll start over!" He naively thought Yoruichi was right, only to find moments later he had brewed the coffee correctly.

Other times, Yoruichi tried to mess with him for working with three attractive girls. Ichigo hated this teasing the most, for Yoruichi had a tendency to point out each of the girls' attributes, from Rangiku's breasts, to Momo's hips, to Rukia's legs. Ichigo blushed each time and tried to deny he had ever ogled the girls.

"I can't believe you don't like any of them. You're young, and you don't have a girlfriend. Maybe you're gay. Or could it be you're in love with me? Kisuke won't be happy about that. But he doesn't have to know." She said suggestively, wiggling her eyebrows for good measure.

"Shut up!" Ichigo yelled, turning red from head to toe, while the woman laughed.

The other annoying customer was a girl who had recently become a regular. It all happened during his third week at the job. Rukia had tried to get him to attend the customers directly at the cashier machine. Ichigo had been reluctant to leave his post as a barista, but Rukia had insisted he needed to learn how to do it just in case one day she couldn't come.

"Smile, Ichigo, smile!" Rukia told him.

"I'm smiling!"

"You look like you're constipated." Rukia deadpanned and Ichigo frowned.

"I'm doing the best I can!"

Rukia rolled her eyes. "Okay, then let's try your greeting."

"Welcome, may I take your order?" The young man said with no emotions whatsoever.

The barista sighed. "Can you sound less robotic? Try this. 'Hello! Welcome to Urahara's! May I take your order?" She said cheerfully, even gesturing for emphasis.

Ichigo cringed. "You sound creepy." He hated her customer voice, she sounded so fake when she spoke like that.

"Not as much as do. Quick, here comes a customer, be nice!" Rukia warned him, and then stepped aside.

A girl with magenta hair styled in pigtails, wearing what looked like a Lolita outfit, walked directly towards the counter with a bored expression on her face. Ichigo instantly knew she was one of those high maintenance girls, and prepared himself for the attitude he assumed she would give him.

"Welcome to Urahara's, may I take your order?" He said with the same intonation as before. Rukia facepalmed behind him.

The girl frowned, and then turned to look at him ready to yell at him for being rude. "Hey, who do you think you─" But she stopped dead in her tracks when she took a good look at Ichigo.

"I what?" Ichigo asked with a raised eyebrow.

The girl continued to ogle him. The truth Ichigo was a highly attractive man. He had deep brown eyes, high cheekbones, a hard jaw, a straight nose, and you could appreciate her biceps and chiseled chest under his uniform. His wild orange hair just added to the appeal.

"You're a hottie!" The girl shouted, blushing heavily.

"Arm, excuse me?" Ichigo said, raising an eyebrow.

"I told you that you were going to attract a lot of customers!" Rangiku remarked as she passed by and accepted the cup of coffee Rukia was giving him. The barista was trying to stifle a laugh.

The girl stammered and managed to order a Frappuccino, never once taking her eyes off of Ichigo. The man started blushing because of the attention he was receiving.

Ever since, the girl, who they heard was called Dokugamine Riruka, came almost every day, always ordering a Frappuccino, and sitting on the table right in front of the counter, to have a better view of Ichigo at worked. Ichigo flushed every time she came in, and had to bear the teasing from his female coworkers. Later, more girls started coming in just to stare at him. One had been very forward and asked for his number. Urahara found the situation both hilarious and good for his business. "With you here, Ichigo, our customers have increase a ten percent!"

* * *

After a month had passed by, Ichigo had finally settled on his new routine. Ichigo worked from 4 to 8 from Mondays to Fridays, and from 12 to 4 on Saturdays. He rested on Sundays. Usually, from 4 to 6 they had fewer customers, so he had the chance to study or do homework in the meantime. He hadn't thought about doing it really, until Rukia gave him the green light one day. It had been particularly slow that day, it was Monday after all, and the two of them had been resting on the counter. Soon, Rukia took out a bag from under the counter, and opened a book.

"Don't you have homework to do?" Rukia asked him.

"What?"

"You study at Karakura University, right? I've seen you there. Don't you have homework?" Rukia explained herself.

"Ah, yeah. But I didn't bring my stuff." He answered.

"You should. On slow days, you can study for a bit."

Ichigo nodded. Then, he gasped. "Wait, you study at Karakura U too?!"

Rukia laughed. "Yeah. Hinamori, Rangiku-san and I study there. Hinamori and I are in our second year, while Rangiku-san is on his last. This is your first year, right?"

Ichigo nodded. "What are you studying?"

"I'm majoring in business. What about you?"

"Criminology."

"What? Ichigo studies at Karakura U!" Rangiku, who was passing by and had heard everything, exclaimed.

"Yeah. I study criminology. And you?"

"Electrical engineering, actually." Ichigo blinked, clearly surprised. "Shocking, isn't it? I'm not only a pretty face, but I'm smart too."

"I study psychology there too." Hinamori joined their conversation.

Soon, they started discussing their classes, teachers, and college events. Rangiku and Hinamori were very into university social life, attending most parties, while Rukia was just as reserved as Ichigo was. Since the Law and Business buildings were close to each other, and shared the same cafeteria, Rukia had been able to see him walking by one time. After Ichigo knew this information, he made it a point to look for Rukia at the cafeteria or nearby. One time, he had run into Rukia when he was walking towards the coffee shop. They had decided to walk together. That had spurred a couple of rumors at the café, which were mostly spread by Rangiku. They had denied everything, but Ichigo had to admit he was starting to enjoy Rukia's company, even though at first he had thought she was bitchy.

Tessai, Hinamori, Rangiku and Rukia weren't Ichigo's only coworkers. He knew that early on the mornings, Urahara attended the counter and was the barista as well, while two girls, Ise Nanao and Kotetsu Isane, waited the place. From 12 to 4, Kiyone, Isane's little sister, and Kira Izuru were waiters, a guy called Ayasegawa Yumichika attended the counter, a girl called Kurotsuchi Nemu was the barista, and a man called Hisagi Shuuhei replaced Tessai as the cook. At 8, a young man that looked to be younger than Ichigo but was actually older called Hitsugaya Toshiro replaced Rukia as barista. Isane came back as a waitress to replace Hinamori, while Rangiku stayed. Another man called Madarame Ikkaku came to work at the counter. Ichigo had met some of them during Saturdays, for he worked those days with Hitsugaya, Hisagi, and Ikkaku. He had met the others whenever they changed shifts or whenever Rangiku needed someone to cover for him.

Ichigo had become friends quickly with Ikkaku, Yumichika, Hisagi and Kira. He laughed whenever Rangiku teased them or took advantage of them, especially of Hisagi and Kira. They had even invited Ichigo to drink with them. He had gone with them one Saturday at a local bar, and had regretted immediately. They drank a lot, more than he had ever drunk in his whole life, and were quick to get wasted. Rangiku usually was with them, and got as drunk as them. Kira and Hisagi apparently always ended up in their underwear at some point during the night. Ichigo was also surprised to find out that Kyouraku, their customer, frequented the same bar and got drunk with them.

As for Hitsugaya, he was even more demanding than Rukia. He acted as manager on Saturdays, while Ichigo was the barista along with Ikkaku, Hisagi cooked, and Rukia, Hinamori and Rangiku were waitresses. Hitsugaya had little to no patience, and scolded Rangiku often. Their interactions were often like this:

"Matsumoto!" Hitsugaya would yell. "Stop fooling around and start working!"

Said girl would scream in panic. "Yes, yes, Hitsugaya-sama!" She'd say teasingly, while Hitsugaya would frown.

"Shiro-chan, don't be so mean!" Hinamori would complain.

"She had it coming, and don't me like that here, Hinamori!" Hitsugaya would reply.

"Whatever you say, Hitsugaya-kun." Hinamori would say teasingly, making Hitsugaya grow red, either from embarrassment or anger, Ichigo didn't know.

"I prefer you as manager." Ichigo would then tell Rukia, who would smile smugly.

"Tell me something I don't know."

Even though he liked his male coworkers, Ichigo's favorite coworkers were still the girls. He had never had as any girl friends as he had now, and it surprised him he got along so well with them. Rangiku was wild and rambunctious, and although she liked to tease him, she had a golden heart. Hinamori was extremely sweet, and always had a good disposition. She told him funny stories when business was slow. And Rukia, well, she was sarcastic and could be very bossy when she wanted, but she was also kind, intelligent, and funny. At first Ichigo had thought she was a bitch, but upon knowing more about her, he found that wasn't the case, she was just strict. She could be patient too. Somehow, he found that he had grown closer to her, perhaps because they worked side by side. He truly enjoyed her company.

* * *

As time went by, Ichigo realized that he could call Rukia his best friend. They were almost attached by the hip. They spent a lot of time together at work, but they ate lunch sometimes at the cafeteria, and walked together to Urahara's after their classes were over. They had even gone out on the weekends, to watch movies at the local cinema or to just stroll in the park. He had found out a lot about her during their time together.

"So why do you study business?" He asked her one day.

Rukia sighed. "At first it was expected of me. My family owns a large business, which my older brother runs. Naturally, my family wanted to follow into the same footsteps. I wasn't that convinced but accepted business anyway. That changed last year when I was looking for a job. Urahara-san hired me and soon I started truly loving working here. That's when I had a new dream. I want to own my own coffee shop one day. I already have a name and everything."

"Oh really? And what is it?"

"Promise not to laugh?" She said self-consciously.

"I promise."

"It's going to be called Chappy Café, and it's going to be cool because it'll be bunny-themed and you'll be able to pet bunnies." Rukia explained, her eyes shining with glee.

"So basically a cat café but with bunnies." Ichigo deadpanned, not at all surprised. Over the time working with Rukia, he had found out she was obsessed with bunnies and wanted to have one as a pet someday.

"No, you fool! It's going to be better than a cat café because it'll have bunnies!"

"If you say so!"

"Don't laugh!" She said and then hit Ichigo on his shoulder.

"Damnit, Rukia! That hurt!"

"That was for being mean." She huffed and crossed her arms. They grew silent until Rukia started speaking again. "So, why are you studying criminology? It's not that common."

Ichigo gulped. "It's quite personal, actually." His eyes were downcast.

"Oh, I'm sorry. If you don't want, you don't have to tell me."

"No, it's okay. I think I'm ready to share this with someone." Ichigo said. "You see, when I was eight years old, I was walking on the streets with my mom. It was raining and we didn't notice we were being followed. In the blink of an eye, a guy appeared and tried to mug us. My mom got scared because of me, and took a lot to give him her purse. I guess the guy panicked, for he stabbed my mom, snatched her purse as she fell, and then ran. The cut wasn't so deep, but unfortunately, the guy hit an important vein, and my mom bleed out."

"Oh, Ichigo, that's awful! I'm so sorry." Rukia said, covering her mouth in horror.

The man shrugged, trying to appear unaffected although he visibly was. "Yeah, anyway, the police searched but they never found him. So, I made it my goal to investigate crimes to find criminals, so that families like mine can get justice. No crime should go unpunished."

Rukia smiled tenderly at him. "That's an incredible goal."

Ichigo smiled back. "Well, a bunny café isn't so bad."

He had also discovered Rukia once wanted to be a painter, but realized she wasn't good at drawing. She also was a pro at ice skating, and had won a prize when she was thirteen years old. She had also been adopted by her current family. Her older sister had married Kuchiki Byakuya when Rukia had been a small child. Since their parents had died, Byakuya adopted her into the family as his sister. When Hisana passed away due to a chronic disease, Byakuya raised Rukia as his own, and had given her everything she had wanted, although their relationship was tense.

Rukia, Rukia, Rukia. That was what was in Ichigo's thoughts most of the time. His friends, and even Rangiku and Hinamori had started asking him about it, wondering if there was more to it than just a friendship. Ichigo had denied everything, but after a while he had started wondering too about it, especially when a certain man arrived at the shop one day. He was tall, taller than Ichigo, he had reddish hair, and slanted brown eyes. The moment he entered the café, Rukia gasped and immediately walked towards him pulling him outside. From the window, Ichigo could see they were almost arguing.

"Oh no." Rangiku whispered next to him.

"Who's that?" Ichigo asked her.

"That's Ashido, Rukia's ex. I wonder what he wants." Rangiku mumbled, more to herself than Ichigo.

"I hope he goes away. He really hurt Rukia-san." Hinamori said, as she grabbed a piece of pie from the counter.

Ichigo felt something strange in his chest. He felt angry that someone had hurt Rukia, but he also felt a pang when he saw that Rukia had smiled at her ex, before going back inside. That was the moment he realized he felt more for Rukia than just a friendship.

"Hey, Ichigo, why are you making such a weird face?" Rukia asked him once she was next to him.

"Nothing."

He was fucked.

* * *

"You've been acting weird lately." Rukia remarked one day.

It was true. Ever since his epiphany, he hadn't known how to act around Rukia. Should he confess? Try to show his feelings? Or just get over her? He didn't know. He had never been in love before. He had dated, sure, and liked girls, but this was more than a crush. Besides, he didn't want to ruin his friendship with Rukia. It was too precious for him.

"Nothing." He lied.

Rukia scoffed. "Nothing my ass! You've been avoiding me! Did I do something to you?" She asked, looking hurt.

"No!" Ichigo panicked. "Of course not!"

"Then what is it?" She demanded, putting Ichigo on the spot.

"Ilikeyouokay." Ichigo said quickly.

"What?" Rukia asked, not having understood a word he had said.

"I knew it!" Rangiku suddenly shouted. She had been at the counter, taking a piece of cake for a customer when she had managed to hear the conversation.

"What? What did he say, Rangiku-san?" Rukia asked her.

"Oh, nothing, nothing. It's better if Ichigo tells you himself, Rukia-chan." Rangiku said, winking at the end of her sentence. Said guy blushed.

"I'll tell you later." He mumbled, and started brewing coffee.

"Fine."

Once their shift was over, and they were walking outside side by side, Rukia inquired again. "So what did you want to tell me?"

Ichigo gulped, then sighed. "Look, before I tell you anything, promise things won't get weird between us."

"I promise." Rukia said seriously. She looked incredibly cute too.

"Fine… well, for a while now I've noticed things have changed about how I feel about you. I guess, I think of you of more than just a friend or coworker. You're special… I guess what I'm trying to say is that I like you."

Rukia blinked once, twice, and then turned a lovely shade of pink.

"But, you don't have to say anything. It's okay if you don't feel the same way." Ichigo added quickly, before Rukia could answer.

Rukia snorted. "You're such a fool, Ichigo. Of course I like you back!" She said and took Ichigo's hands between hers.

"Really?" He asked hopeful.

"Really."

Then, they grew closer and started leaning. Ichigo pressed his lips against hers, and Rukia started kissing him back just as eagerly. From the window, Rangiku, Hinamori, Tessai, Urahara and some of the customers were watching the scene with curious eyes, and when the couple finally kissed, they cheered loudly, which caused Ichigo and Rukia to pull away to see what was that all about.

"Finally!" Urahara yelled, taking picture after picture.

Ichigo started screaming bloody murder at Urahara, while Rukia laughed, and then pulled him back for another kiss.

Maybe working at Urahara's coffee shop had been the best thing that had ever happened to Ichigo.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for any mistakes. I didn't edit before submitting. Also, I decided to add other characters to be Ichigo and Rukia's admirers instead of the usual Renji and Orihime. That gets old. Also, I know next to nothing about brewing coffee, so I'm sorry if I didn't explain the process correctly or if it was too simplified.


	7. A Change of Heart

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Summary:** I am so sorry for taking so long! I had originally planned a different story for the historical prompt, but I changed it last minute, so I took longer writing it. Also, I've had some relatives over, so my writing time has been cut short. I'll upload the other stories for this week on the weekend, and hopefully on Monday I'll be back on track. Thank you everyone who has read my one-shots, reviewed, followed and put this fanfiction on their favorites! Thank you very much! As always, I hope you enjoy this one-shot!

Until tomorrow!

* * *

 **Reviews:**

 **Bleach power:** Thank you! I'm glad you liked it!

* * *

A Change of Heart

 **Prompt:** Historical

 **Summary:** Rukia, the daughter of an important noble, had been betrothed as a child to the son of another important noble. She had never been eager to marry him, and the feeling was mutual. She never thought she'd learn to love Ichigo. Yet, she found herself getting more and more comfortable with her new husband. Were her feelings changing?

* * *

Kuchiki Rukia had always known she was not destined to meet a man, fall in love, and marry him, like it happened in the stories her nanny used to tell her. It was inconceivable that something like that could ever happen to her. Such romantic notions were out of her reach. After all, she _was_ a noble woman, and she had been betrothed from her birth. The man she was supposed to marry was the son of a noble family, almost as important as her own. His fortune was as great as hers, and would become the leader of his clan eventually. The marriage had been arranged a few months after her birth. Shiba Isshin had arrived to the Kuchiki manor to speak to Rukia's father about a proposition he had in mind. Six months before Rukia's birth, Isshin had had a son himself. The nature of the proposition was obvious, and Kuchiki Byakuya had accepted after discussing about it with his wife. The union was beneficial for both parties, and it not only would increase their fortunes but the bond between both clans as well. The marriage was soon arranged, to the satisfaction of both families.

Shiba Ichigo was the name of Rukia's betrothed. He was a handsome young man, tall, fit, and the owner of two deep brown eyes, which shone like embers under the sun. His orange hair, inherited from his mother, added to his personality. However, Rukia couldn't stand him. They had seen each other several times over the years, even though their estates were far away from each other. Ever since they were children, they had never been able to get along. As a young child, Ichigo had been a cry baby who often complained when Rukia bested him during their games. When they grew older, Ichigo had turned morose after the sudden death of his mother. It had been difficult understanding him, until she had lost her own mother. She had turned cold and reserved, keeping her feelings to herself. Their tempers often clashed as well, and most of Ichigo's visits ended up in both of them bickering. They had their moments of solidarity and friendship, but those were rare and were eclipsed by their constant arguments. The only thing in which they agreed on was that they did not, under any circumstances, wished to get married to each other.

The last time they had met was on a banquet made in honor of Rukia's sixteenth birthday. Both Isshin and Byakuya had discussed the possibility of the marriage taking place that year. However, after observing yet another fight between their children, they had decided it was too soon for that to happen, and that they would wait another two years to celebrate the wedding. After her banquet, Rukia had not seen Ichigo again, and had pushed her impeding marriage to the back of her mind, concentrating on other things. This is why it surprised her extremely to receive a letter from her betrothed on her eighteenth birthday.

* * *

Rukia had woken up that day feeling excited. She was eighteen, a woman through and through. She wished to spend the day at her leisure, drawing and walking around the gardens of her family estate. Next, she would have a luxurious dinner with her father, and then he would give her a present. If she was lucky enough, Byakuya would tell her stories about her mother and how they had met, which were her favorite. Finally, she would go to sleep with a smile on her face. It would be the perfect day. However, her plans were interrupted when she heard a ruckus outside her home. Byakuya went outside to see what was happening, while she stayed inside, waiting for her father to return. The head of the Kuchiki Clan entered his estate once again with news: outside, a messenger of the Shiba Clan was waiting with presents for the young master's bride. Rukia gasped when she saw servants bringing in the presents, and she was even more surprised when her father handed her a letter which was addressed to her. It came from Ichigo.

The letter opened by congratulating her on her eighteenth birthday, and Ichigo wishing she had a most delightful day. From the tone of the letter, Rukia guessed his father had forced him to write it to her, which made her snort. Ichigo then wrote that he hoped she liked the presents he had chosen for her. They included several expensive gems and jewelry, high quality perfumes, and most curiously, eight silk kimonos with eight fans and hair accessories to match them. In the letter, Ichigo explained that the gems and jewelry belonged to his family, and now they were hers. One of them, a jade pendant with the Shiba emblem, was to officially welcome her into his family. It meant what Rukia was fearing. They were going to be wedded soon. He also explained that seven of the eight kimonos were meant for her to wear during their first week of marriage, while the eighth one, a red kimono with golden embroidery, was to be her wedding kimono. Ichigo wrote her that all of these were traditional presents for every Shiba bride to be. Then, he informed her that within a week, his father and he would travel to her estate to arrange the wedding details.

It was unbelievable! She had not heard from him in two years, and now they were supposed to get married. Rukia was shaking. Her perfect birthday had been ruined. After reading the letter, she stormed to her father's office to inform him of the Shibas impending visit, when Byakuya informed her he had received a similar letter from Ichigo as well. Since when was her betrothed so formal? It seemed a lot had changed during his absence in her life.

That night, Rukia resigned herself to the fact that she would have to get married sooner rather than later.

* * *

In a week's time, as Ichigo had said in his letter, he as well as his father arrived to the Kuchiki estate. Byakuya and Rukia went out to welcome them. Both were wearing elegant clothing, Rukia was wearing a pink kimono, while her father was wearing teal robes. The Shibas arrived in a big carriage, and the moment it stopped, Isshin got off the carriage and boisterously greeted both Kuchikis.

"Byakuya! Rukia-chan! It is so good to see you after so many years!" He said enthusiastically. Rukia smiled, amused at her father's grim expression. She knew he detested to be referred to without the right honorifics.

"It is an honor to receive you here, Isshin-dono." Rukia greeted her father-in-law, and bowed.

The older man smiled. "We are so glad to be here!" He remarked, and just then the man realized his son was nowhere to be found. "Ichigo! Come here!" He yelled.

Just then, a man emerged from the carriage carrying several packages. "I was just helping Tessai-san with all of our stuff!" He said with a deeper voice than Rukia remembered. Then, he put the packages down, and Rukia could finally observe him properly. She gasped. He was taller now than he was a couple of years ago. His face had also changed slightly. Gone was his boyish face, which was replaced with more defined features. She could also see perfectly his defined body with the black and tight kimono he was wearing. Rukia blushed.

"Ichigo, come here and greet Byakuya and Rukia-chan!" Isshin ordered him.

The young man walked towards them with an unreadable expression. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Kuchiki-san, Rukia." He said, at least trying to use an honorific for her father.

"Welcome." Rukia said, her voice coming out raspy. _What's going on?_

"Please, come inside, we have matters to attend to." Byakuya spoke next, and the four of them entered the manor.

Byakuya and Isshin went immediately to the former's office. Meanwhile, Rukia and Ichigo were left alone except for a servant, who followed them at a proper distance, acting as a chaperone. Their fathers had agreed that their children needed a lot to talk about. Rukia guided Ichigo to the gardens. Although it was a cold winter day, neither wanted to be inside. At first they walked in silence, until the quietness was too overwhelming for Rukia.

"Did you leave your sisters at Karakura?" She asked her betrothed, remembering fondly Ichigo's younger sisters, Yuzu and Karin.

"Yeah. Since this is a quick trip, we decided to just come the two of us. You'll see them at the wedding." Ichigo muttered. Rukia gulped. There it was. The reason for his visit.

"We are getting married, huh?" Rukia said.

Ichigo smiled sadly at her. "In a few months, probably."

"I honestly never thought this day would come." Rukia said ironically, causing Ichigo to laugh.

"Me neither, but here we are…" He trailed off, gesturing vaguely.

They went silent again, until Ichigo spoke again. "Did you like them?" He asked her suddenly. "The presents, I mean."

"Yes, they were lovely. Thank you." She smiled at him. Ichigo smiled back.

"Rukia." He called her, suddenly turning serious.

"Yes?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"On our wedding day, can you wear the jade pendant I gave you?"

Rukia simply nodded, intrigued by his simple yet mysterious petition.

* * *

Byakuya and Isshin both decided the wedding would be held in two months' time at the Kuchiki estate. All noble clans had been invited, as well as other rich and important families. The bride and groom would spend their wedding night at the Kuchiki manor, and then they would travel to the Shiba estate the following day. Both Rukia and Ichigo had had to agree, for they have been left with little to no options. Isshin and Ichigo stayed for just three days, as Isshin and Byakuya planned the wedding. Rukia and her betrothed had taken the time to talk about how they would manage their marriage. They had agreed on having time to themselves while they adjusted to their new life, and that they should probably wait until the arrival of their first child.

"You will wear the pendant, will you?" Ichigo had asked her in a whisper just before getting on the carriage.

"Yes, of course." Rukia had answered.

"Thank you." Ichigo smiled, and then boarded the carriage, leaving Rukia to her own thoughts.

Why was the pendant so important? She couldn't tell. She figured it would be best to follow Ichigo's wishes this once. Rukia didn't want their marriage to start even worse than it had already. She, then, was surprised to realize they hadn't bickered once during his stay.

* * *

When two months had gone by, the Shiba Clan arrived to prepare for the wedding. Isshin, along his three children, his niece and nephews, and ten elders of the clan traveled with him. They were welcomed by Byakuya, Rukia, and all the clan elders. They were housed on the west wing of the manor, in an attempt to keep the bride and groom separated until their wedding as was customary. During this time, Rukia conversed with her future sisters-in-law, who had been just as eager to see Rukia again.

"You're going to like it there." Yuzu said when they were walking on the gardens. "We have a lot of trees in our gardens, as well as ponds with many animals. We can also go to the market, and buy jewels and fabric!" Yuzu kept saying.

Rukia smiled at the girl with tenderness. She thought of both girls as the younger sisters she never had. They would become her own sisters now. She was not sorry about that.

"You'll have to forgive Yuzu, Rukia-nee, she's just excited." Karin said.

Rukia shook her head. "I am not mad. I'll be delighted if you could show me all those places, Yuzu."

The younger girl smiled. "Sure, unless onii-chan wants to show them to you himself."

Rukia blushed at that. It was strange to think that, by the end of the week, she would be married.

Time passed in the blink of an eye, and she was suddenly staring at her reflection on the mirror. She was wearing the red kimono Ichigo had given her for her birthday. Hinamori, her maid, had put on makeup and had styled herself in the traditional up do worn by brides. Beneath her kimono, she had put the jade pendant Ichigo had insisted she should wear.

"You look stunning, ojou-sama." Hinamori told her, adding the last details to her makeup.

"Thank you, Hinamori." She said, feeling stunned by her own reflection.

"Are you nervous?" The maid asked her again.

"Yes." Rukia answered truthfully. She was already dreading the wedding night and what was expected of her.

"Do not worry, ojou-sama, it will all be fine." Hinamori reassured her with a smile.

"Rukia, it's time." Byakuya said, entering Rukia's room. The bride-to-be gulped, and then followed her father outside the room.

* * *

The wedding ceremony went on smoothly. Ichigo was wearing a traditional black montsuki hakama, which fitted him perfectly. He smiled at Rukia in appreciation when he realized she was wearing the pendant. They walked together to the shrine, and recited their vows without stuttering. At the end, their guests cheered, and they returned to the Kuchiki estate, ready to attend the banquet.

The bride and groom greeted a lot of their guests, who congratulated them profusely. They complimented the beautiful bride, and her handsome groom, saying they made the perfect couple. The newlyweds smiled nervously each time. Some guests, like her relative Shihouin Yoruichi, laughed at the expense of the spouses, making crude remarks about the wedding night. Others, like Ichigo's cousin Kaien, spoke about marriage passionately, remarking the wonders and happiness found in such a union, while looking at his wife. Byakuya watched the banquet with a serious expression on his face. The man was probably saddened to part from his only daughter the following day, and worried about her future. As for Isshin, he was joyous, gloating about his beautiful 'third daughter', and the beautiful grandchildren his son and his wife would have.

Rukia was nervous the whole time, dreading their wedding night. Ichigo was fidgeting at her side, not really meeting her eyes. She knew that Ichigo was probably as uncomfortable as she was. That was a relief. At least she would not be dealing with an older and eager man, like she knew many girls had to do during their own weddings. For that, she was grateful her father had betrothed her to a man her age.

When night came, Hinamori showed the bride and groom to a room in a quiet part of the manor, where no one would bother them. After saying goodnight, the servant left them alone. Rukia could hear her own heart hammering inside her chest, so fast she wondered if Ichigo could hear it too. Her hands were sweaty, and she tried to wipe them on her kimono. Ichigo hadn't said anything since they went inside the room, and the silence was unnerving. She gasped loudly when suddenly Ichigo put his hand on her shoulder.

"I promise I won't hurt you." He said huskily. His voice made Rukia feel weird things in her stomach. "Are you nervous?"

"Very." She said truthfully.

"Me too."

Rukia laughed.

"Hey, why are you laughing? It's not funny!" Ichigo exclaimed, clearly annoyed.

"I'm sorry." She said as she snorted. "It is just ridiculous. We could not stand each other for years, and now we're married."

"Yeah, well, we have been intended for each other since we were babies. It was a matter of time before it happened." Ichigo said dryly.

"And here we are." Rukia said, gesturing to the room.

"And here we are." Ichigo agreed.

"So, what do we do?" She asked the young man, feeling nervous once again.

He blushed. "I guess we need to consummate it… the marriage, I mean."

"Right." Rukia whispered.

Ichigo put his arms around her waist, gulping loudly. If Rukia hadn't been so nervous, she would have laughed at him. She steadied herself, putting her hands on Ichigo's chest. They looked at each other. Rukia could see how scared he was. It was the same for her.

"Just so you know, I do not hate you." She murmured.

"I do not hate you either." Ichigo answered.

Then, he started leaning down. Rukia understood what he meant to do, so she stood on the tips of her toes, meeting him halfway. Closing her eyes, she felt how her husband tenderly pressed his lips against her own. _My husband_. The thought made her feel strange things in her belly. Ichigo pulled away, his cheeks had turned red. Rukia could feel that she was blushing too.

"Do that again." She commanded.

Ichigo did not say anything. He merely closed the distance between them, and kissed her again. This time, he was bolder, and started moving his lips against hers. Rukia responded timidly. They separated and breathed. Kissing brought a new sensation for them. Who would have thought such a simple act would be so pleasing? Without speaking, they leaned a third time, kissing more deeply this time. Rukia gasped when Ichigo started licking her lips. Out of instinct, she parted them, letting Ichigo's tongue explore her mouth. She moaned. The sound made Ichigo stop.

"I'm sorry. Did I do something wrong?" He asked her shyly.

Rukia shook her head. "No, I… I liked that…" She said, cheeks still red and her heart beating as madly as before.

Ichigo pressed her body closer to his, and he kissed her again. His hands started rubbing her sides, while hers were playing with his hair. As they continued kissing, Ichigo lay her down on the futon, and he crawled on top of her, his mouth never straying far from hers. Once they had stopped, they looked at each other again. They knew what they had to do, but were unsure and scared.

"We don't have to do it if you don't want to." Ichigo told her with sincerity.

Rukia smiled sadly at her. "We both know we have to."

Her husband kissed her forehead tenderly. "Tell me if it hurts."

"I will."

Then, his hands went to her obi, and started untying it, making the red kimono fall to the ground.

* * *

Rukia woke up the following morning feeling strange. That was not her room, and she was completely naked. Then, the memories of last night hit her hard. Her eyes opened widely, and she blushed remembering what she had done in that room. Turning to her side, she noticed that Ichigo was awake already, and that he was dressing himself. She gulped as her mind engulfed her with memories of his body, and how it had felt against her. She, then, was aware of a stinging sensation between her legs.

"Good morning." Ichigo greeted her once he noticed his wife was awake.

"Good morning." She whispered.

"How are you?" He asked her.

"I'm fine." Rukia said simply.

"Are you sure?" He asked again, and just then she noticed that Ichigo was not looking at her but at the futon. Her eyes followed his gaze, and found a bright red stain on the white sheets. _Oh_.

"Ichigo. Look at me." She commanded. The man did as he was told. "You didn't hurt me. It was meant to happen. I am fine. Truly. So, do not worry about it."

He nodded, and then looked away. Rukia realized it was because she was still naked. She yelped cutely and threw the sheets over her, using them to cover herself from head to toe.

Ichigo cleared his throat. "A servant is preparing baths for both of us. Then, we are expected to have breakfast with your father and my family." Saying that, he got up and left the room.

Rukia collapsed on the futon. Was this how all of her mornings would be from now on? She sighed, and got up. She noticed that there were robes for her to use, so she put them on and walked towards the baths. As she moved, she noticed how sticky her legs were, and flushed. She moved her hands to her belly, praying Ichigo's seed would not quicken.

* * *

For breakfast, Rukia picked out a light blue kimono with pink flowers Ichigo had given her on her birthday, remembering that she was supposed to wear the kimonos Ichigo had gifted her on their first week of marriage as tradition dictated. She wore the jade pendant underneath it, believing that might please her husband. She was not sure, however, why she wanted to please him, but believed it was her duty. Ichigo smiled when he saw her walk into the room wearing the kimono. She felt self-conscious and blushed, but managed to sit gracefully next to him.

Breakfast was mostly silent, except for Isshin, who continuously talked even if no one said anything. He told Rukia about the beautiful scenery they would see during their journey home later that day. He then remarked on how elegant the wedding had been. Next, he tried to jest on how he had been unable to sleep due to the loud noises he had heard, making his three children and his daughter-in-law blush. He stopped once he noticed Byakuya glaring at him. Isshin thought about it better, and told Byakuya about his estate, which pleased the other man.

At noon, they started carrying all of their luggage into the carriages they had brought. Rukia was sad to see all of her belongings being carried away from the place she called home. She had been born there. She had learn to walk, and speak there. It was in the manor where she had lived happily with her parents. It was there where she learned everything she knew. She had been married there and even spent her first night with her husband there. It would be hard to say goodbye.

"We are leaving soon." Ichigo announced.

She nodded. "I will be ready soon. There is just something I need to do."

Rukia walked to a room she knew well, although she rarely went in. She opened the door, revealing a shrine with the painting of a woman who resembled Rukia. She had long hair, and deep violet eyes. Her smile was kind and loving. It was Hisana, Rukia's mother, who had perished when Rukia was a child. She smiled sadly at the portrait. Burning incense sticks, she kneeled down in front of the portrait and prayed. Rukia asked her mother for guidance and strength. She felt so alone without her there, without her advice. Rukia blinked back tears. She would not cry. That would alarm her father, and make Ichigo uncomfortable. She did not want that.

"Rukia." Her father's deep voice called her. "Are you ready?"

She stood on shaking legs. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Byakuya walked towards her and hugged her. Rukia hadn't felt her father's arms around her since she was a child. Deeply touched by his gesture, she hugged him back, burying her head on his chest.

"You will be fine, Rukia. Shiba Ichigo might be a brash young man, but he respects you. If I wasn't sure he would be a good husband, I would _never_ have let you marry him."

Rukia chuckled. She often fought with Ichigo, but she had to agree that he was a good man, and would never hurt her on purpose. "Thank you. I will write to you as soon as I am settled."

"I will be waiting for your letter." The father told her daughter, giving her a small smile.

They bade each other goodbye in private, and then both walked outside. Rukia took one last look to her childhood home, and then took Ichigo's hand. He helped her into the carriage, and then they were off. Her gaze did not leave the estate and the image of her father until they were out of view.

* * *

Ichigo and Rukia rode on the same carriage, while Isshin and his daughters rode on another one. The newlyweds rode mostly in silence, only once in a while Ichigo pointing out animals or plants he saw on the way. Rukia asked him a couple of questions, but they did not talk much. Soon, Rukia fell asleep. She woke up only when Ichigo nudged her.

"We're here." He whispered and gestured for Rukia to look out of the window. She did and then gasped.

The Shiba estate was as large as the Kuchiki estate. It had luscious gardens and many ponds, as Yuzu had said. Rukia decided she would get used to it soon, for it wasn't as different as her home was. Outside, all servants were waiting for the arrival of their masters and their new mistress. Isshin exited the carriage first, along with Yuzu and Karin. Then, Ichigo got off, took his wife's hands, and helped her down.

"Welcome back, Shiba-sama!" The servants greeted their master in chorus.

Isshin smiled at them. "It is good to be back. Let me introduce you Shiba Rukia, your master Ichigo's wife, and your new mistress."

"Welcome, Rukia-sama!" They all exclaimed and then bowed at her.

The Shibas entered the estate together. Rukia took in all the details it had, and hoped she never got lost, for it had many rooms. Ichigo took her hand, and led her to a series of halls, until they reached a room.

"This is your chamber." He told her, and then opened it. It was a simple room with just the essentials. It was fine by Rukia, who did not care for ostentatious things. "My chamber is right next to yours." Ichigo added, opening another door, and showing her his own room. "And if you open this door," he pointed to a door right across the room, "you have the perfect view of our gardens." He opened it and showed it to her. It was lovely. She could get used to a view like this.

Ichigo, then, proceeded to guide her around the manor. He showed her where the dining room was, the main hall, his father's office, Ichigo's own office, the library, and other places. He took her to the stables, and showed her his black stallion. "It is called Zangetsu." He told her. After the tour, they returned to the dining room to have dinner as a family. Rukia expected it to be awkward, but Isshin was very kind and so were the twins. They had received Rukia into their family from the very start. She smiled at the thought. Maybe she would be able to call this place home after all.

* * *

During Rukia's first week at the Shiba estate, she started becoming acquainted with the manor as well as the servants. Her new maid was called Kotetsu Kiyone, and she had been very kind to her from the beginning. Hinamori had been shy when they first met, and it took a while until both girls could talk freely. Kiyone was none of that. She had been extroverted from the start. Many noble ladies would have found the way the girl spoke to be offensive, but Rukia liked it. One thing she admired was frankness, and Kiyone had that quality. Kiyone often told her funny stories about the rest of the servants, or things she had heard on the market. Rukia always laughed at them.

Yuzu and Karin hardly left her side, showing her different places around the manor, and telling her how things ran there. Rukia was grateful for the attention she was receiving from her sisters-in-law. One thing she learned is that they had more liberties than she had ever had. Isshin was much more lenient about the rules of propriety exercised by nobles. Yuzu and Karin were as free to wander as their older brother. Rukia supposed that she too was free now. They took her to the market one day without chaperones, just with the company of Kiyone. Rukia was mesmerized by the sight. She hardly went to the market near the Kuchiki estate, so it was a new experience for her. She was amazed to discover the many colors, smells, and sounds she could hear. Yuzu bought hair accessories, while Karin chose to buy fruit. Rukia didn't plan to buy anything, until she saw a fan decorated with white rabbits.

"It's cute! You should buy it, Rukia-nee." Yuzu told her.

"I guess I should." She said, and bought it.

Later that day, she proudly showed her new purchase to Ichigo, who snorted.

"Don't tell me you are still obsessed with rabbits?" He mocked her.

"What if I am?" Rukia said angrily, and then hit him on the stomach.

"Why did you do that for?!" He screamed in pain.

"For mocking me!"

Thus, their first argument as a married couple started. At the end of their fight, they began laughing out of how ridiculous the situation was.

* * *

During their first week together, Ichigo and Rukia explored the gardens together. Ichigo showed her all the flowers and trees they had planted over the years. They fed the koi and turtles which lived in the ponds around the gardens. On the afternoons, they drank tea while admiring the view of the gardens from Rukia's room. It became a tradition for them. As Ichigo had told her to, Rukia had worn the seven kimonos each day of that first week. Rukia also wrote her father during the week, and told him everything was fine, and that she was getting settled. He wrote her back, and told her things remained the same at the manor, and that he was glad Rukia was getting used to her new life.

Although she was more comfortable with Ichigo now, Rukia still feared he would come to her at night so she could fulfill her duty as his wife. However, Ichigo never came that week, or the next week. That made her panic thinking she might have displeased him somehow during their wedding night. Sadly, she did not have a motherly figure to turn to in her time of need. She decided that the best course of action was to wait, and not create discomfort.

The newlyweds spent their first month getting used to each other. Their conversations fluctuated from their childhood adventures, to the things they liked to do, to their new life together. Isshin had also started leaving more responsibilities to Ichigo, and Rukia was learning how to manage her new home. She had had practiced managing some affairs at the Kuchiki estate, but she found that Isshin and her father did things differently, which made it hard for her to adapt. Ichigo and she started spending the afternoons in Ichigo's office, checking their income and what needed to be bought each week. Of course, this caused her to bicker again and again. However, they were productive anyway and proudly showed Isshin what they had accomplished. The head of the Shiba Clan smiled at them.

At the end of that first month, Isshin seemed as if he were expecting something to happen. He looked anxiously at both his son and his daughter-in-law, but both of them seemed unaware of what Isshin expected. One day, Isshin must have talked to Ichigo for he looked at his wife with an unreadable expression. This unnerved Rukia greatly. At the end of the day, she could not handle the anxiety and ended up storming into Ichigo's room at night asking him what was wrong. The young man flushed and averted his eyes.

"My father told me that I… I mean… that I should probably ask, or make sure…" He trailed off.

"What is it?" Rukia asked impatiently.

"A-are you with child?" Ichigo finally blurted out, making Rukia's eyes get wide.

She had forgotten there was a possibility of that happening, mainly because that possibility was nonexistent as of that week. She blushed. "No, I am not." She said. "And no, there is no possibility of that being the case." Rukia added when she saw that her husband wanted to ask.

Ichigo understood and nodded. "Alright."

Rukia breathed deeply and thought this might as well be the perfect chance to ask why he hadn't visited her yet. "Aren't you going to come to my chambers?"

Ichigo coughed. "Do you want me to?" He asked her instead.

Rukia shrugged. "I do not know how these things are supposed to go."

"Me neither." He answered.

They laughed awkwardly.

"I guess that when we want children, I should start visiting you." Ichigo told her.

"Yes. Although, I guess it is your right as a husband if you want to." Rukia remarked.

"I do not want to make you uncomfortable." Ichigo said truthfully.

Rukia smiled. "Maybe, after some time, you can visit me."

He nodded. "Alright."

* * *

The months flew by quicker than she had thought. Rukia spent her days managing the estate, and attending to other duties. When she had time to herself, she read from the books in the library, practiced her calligraphy or ikebana. She went to the market once or twice a month with Yuzu and Karin, where she bought decorations for the house. Rukia preferred to have flowers which she arranged herself in most rooms, and changed the carpets of certain rooms. The first time Rukia had put her flower arrangements around the manor, Isshin had wept of joy.

"This estate had not known such beauty since the days Masaki was alive!" He cried, and hugged her.

Yuzu had cried too, while Ichigo looked at her in approval. "Well done, Rukia."

On the afternoons, she had tea with Ichigo, and then both took long walks in the garden. On one of such occasions, both had been conversing about their childhood, and how Rukia always won during their games.

"It was because you were faster than me, but I assure you I am better now." Ichigo said smugly.

Rukia rolled her eyes. "I am sure I am still better than you."

"Yes?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow playfully. "I do not believe you."

"I will prove it to you in this moment. We are going to climb that tree." She pointed to a large sakura tree in the middle of the garden.

"What? Are you mad?!"

"Are you scared, Ichigo?" Rukia jested.

"You'll see! I will win this time!"

Both started climbing the tree, and in no time, Rukia had climbed onto a branch and sat there, watching her husband smugly. "I win!"

"You cheated!" Ichigo retorted, seating right next to her.

"How could I have cheated in this game? Admit it, I am still better than you!"

"Tch." Ichigo grumbled, and then both laughed.

They stayed there, talking about various things, their hands almost touching, watching the sun set. Their calm atmosphere was interrupted when they heard a voice calling them. Looking down, they found it was Isshin.

"Ichigo, Rukia-chan, get down here this instance!" He shouted, making the spouses laugh. When they had been children, they had often escaped the vigilance of their parents and servants, climbing trees and staying there until their parents came looking for them.

"In a minute!" Ichigo yelled back. Both climbed down, Ichigo making sure Rukia would not slip and fall.

"What were you thinking?! That was dangerous!" Isshin scolded them, while they both laughed.

"Do not worry, we will be careful next time." Ichigo said.

"Next time?!"

Other times, Ichigo would talk about his late mother, and her favorite flowers in the garden. "Yuzu tends to them regularly." He said once.

"Maybe we can start tending to them together." Rukia added. Ichigo smiled at her, making Rukia's heart beat faster.

On a second occasion, when they were drinking tea together, Rukia asked him why it was important to him for Rukia to wear the jade pendant during their wedding day.

"It was my mother's. She wore it on her wedding with my father, and I wanted you to wear it too." He answered earnestly.

Rukia blushed, and played with it. "It is beautiful. Thank you for giving it to me."

Ichigo entwined their fingers together. "No, thank you for wearing it."

Their life together was slowly improving, and although they still bickered, Rukia found that they had grown closer. Sometimes, Ichigo would go to her room and sleep next to her. They would wake up in each other's arms. Somehow, that was not strange or unpleasant. Other times, they would hold hands when they were alone. For Ichigo's birthday, Rukia prepared a large banquet and invited a lot of people, including her father. She made sure Ichigo's favorite dishes were prepared, and she bought him a new wooden sword for his training. She wore a green and white kimono, and proudly displayed the jade pendant her husband had given her for their wedding. Ichigo had been delighted by the surprise, and had smiled all through the banquet.

"Thank you very much, Rukia." He told her once they were alone in her room.

"It was nothing. You deserved it. After all, you've been a good husband so far." Rukia dismissed his thanks.

Ichigo smiled. "It means more to me than you can think of." Then, he kissed her softly, just a peck on her lips. But it was enough to make both flush and smile shyly at each other.

Their feelings were changing. That scared and excited Rukia at the same time. As a child, she liked to imagine she would meet a man and that they would fall in love. However, deep down her she always knew that it would not happen, for her destiny was marrying Ichigo. Rukia had never contemplated the possibility that she could fall in love with her husband. Sure, she had always cared about him, but loving him was different. Now the possibility was all too real. She wondered if Ichigo's feelings were changing too. After that kiss, maybe they were.

As for the rest of the family, Isshin started acting strange again, as if each month he were expecting something, but when he did not get it, he could not help but frown. His anxiety had expanded to his daughters. They intuitively knew what their father's worries were all about, although both Ichigo and Rukia ignored them. One day, Yuzu decided to expose them to Rukia when they were drinking tea together.

"Nee, Rukia-nee, when are you and onii-chan going to have children?" She bluntly asked, making Rukia spit her tea.

"Yuzu! You cannot ask something like that so suddenly!" Karin reprimanded her twin.

"I just wanted to know! You know how father has been lately!" Yuzu defended herself.

Once Rukia had calmed herself, she decided to speak. "Your brother and I decided to wait for a while before having children." She said honestly.

"I will be honest with you, Rukia-nee." Karin spoke this time. "Father wants to have grandchildren, and will soon start actively pressuring Ichi-nii."

Rukia nodded. "I understand his reasoning, however we want to be more comfortable with each other before taking that step."

Yuzu frowned. "But you love each other, is having children the only logical step?" She said, and Rukia choked again, this time on air.

"What?" Rukia gasped.

"Are you not in love?" Yuzu asked. "I could have sworn you were!" She exclaimed.

Rukia blushed. "I don't know…"

Karin shook her head. "You two are so slow. Of course you are. We all know. You have been for a while."

 _Are we?_ Rukia asked herself.

* * *

When summer was almost ending, Ichigo found himself feeling stressed. His father had given him more responsibilities lately, and kept pressuring to have children. Rukia, his wife, did not know the full reason why he felt stressed, but knew there were a lot of things on his shoulders. She had started trying to make him feel better by asking the cook to prepare his favorite dishes, bring him snacks and tea when he was working, and rubbing his shoulders when they hurt. Rukia could not deny herself anymore. She loved Ichigo. She might have loved him for longer than the span of her marriage, and may have been in denial all this time. The feeling made her giddy. She had not told Ichigo yet, but she hoped that he noticed through her actions.

"That feels good." Ichigo groaned as Rukia massaged his shoulders.

"Glad you like it." She said, pleased with herself.

Once she finished, they lay down on her futon.

"Thank you, Rukia. Really. You have been incredible these past few weeks." He mumbled.

She smiled. "I just want to help you, that's all." She shrugged.

Ichigo hugged her and pulled her close to his chest, making her blush. "You are the best wife in the world." He told her, and then kissed her forehead.

Rukia's heart started thumping fast inside her chest. "Ichigo?"

"Yes?"

"I love you." The words poured from her mouth before she could stop herself. _You fool! What have you done?_ She chastised herself for saying such things, and waited until Ichigo said something. When he didn't, she turned to look at him, and found her husband looking at her with a bewildered expression. Rukia started getting nervous until he smiled.

"I love you too." He said at last, and claimed her lips in a swift motion, making Rukia moan.

She pulled him closer to her body, feeling delighted in the way he kissed her and touched her. That night, they did not get much sleep, nor the following night, nor the next.

One month later, Rukia went into Ichigo's office with tears on her eyes and a sweet smile on her face.

"Ichigo." She called him. Her husband looked at her in apprehension. "I am with child." Rukia announced. She had never seen Ichigo smile as brightly.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for any mistakes. I didn't edit before submitting.

Ichigo had totally been in love with Rukia for years, but didn't say anything to not make her uncomfortable. It was only when she fell for him, that he showed her his true feelings.

I thought about adding drama, but I wanted some light-hearted and fluffy, so here you go.


	8. The Art of Flower Arrangements

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Summary:** Hello, everyone! I'm back with another one-shot for the IR Month. This time we have the Florist AU. I hope you like it! I tried keeping it nice and fluffy, for god knows next week we're in for a lot of drama! Anyway, I want to thank all of you for reading and for reviewing. You guys make my day!

Well, hope you enjoy it, and we'll see each other tomorrow for the Spy/Assasin AU.

Until tomorrow!

* * *

 **Reviews:**

 **Bleach power:** Thank you very much!

* * *

The Art of Flower Arrangements

 **Prompt:** Florist

 **Summary:** While working at her older brother's flower shop, Rukia had arranged many bouquets. She often wondered how it would feel to receive one. Maybe she wouldn't need to wonder anymore when a cute boy started frequenting the shop.

* * *

Rukia yawned tiredly. All she wanted to do was go home, take a nap, and then start writing her essay which was due on Monday, but she had put it off for weeks and had officially run out of time. Instead, she was at her part-time job, trying to stay awake. She looked at her phone and realized she still had three more hours to go until her shift ended. "Damnit." She complained, her brows furrowing. Sighing, Rukia looked out of the window, and tried to pass the time by watching the people go by, ignoring the shop.

Rukia worked at a flower shop owned by her older brother. Their family, the Kuchikis, were actually very rich and were associates of several important companies. Kuchiki Byakuya, her brother, was actually known as a business magnate, becoming a CEO before the age of thirty. Yet, that had never been his passion. Byakuya had a thing for traditional Japanese arts. He practiced _kenjutsu_ every Friday, made origami figures whenever he had the time, and even taught a calligraphy class on weekends. However, _ikebana_ was his true love. His own mother had taught him as a child the art of flower arranging, and since then he made it a point to always have beautiful flower arrangements in his manor as well as his office. This passion had transformed itself into a goal. Byakuya took advantage of the fact he had a lot of money, and built his own flower shop. There he could make and sell his beautiful flower arrangements to all kinds of people. He felt like he not only was making himself happy, but other people as well. He named it _Hisana's Flower Shop_ after his deceased wife, who he had loved as much as his flowers. However, due to the fact he still had many responsibilities, he couldn't attend his shop all day, so he had enlisted his sister-in-law's help, offering her a part-time job and paying her a generous salary for it. This is how Rukia currently found herself at the flower shop, trying to stay awake.

Honestly, she did like working there. It gave her a chance to me mildly independent ─she worked for her family after all─, she had money for her extra stuff, and felt productive. Rukia loved flowers too. As a child, Byakuya had taught her the art of ikebana, and was a natural at it. She had no trouble at all arranging flowers. She actually enjoyed. What Rukia liked most about this job was making arrangements for flowers. She liked seeing the couples choosing the flowers and how they wanted them. Rukia enjoyed imagining how they would look on the salon. She especially liked making wedding bouquets. Rukia tried to put into them as much love as she hoped the bride would feel during that day.

Her jobs had other perks. Sometimes, men would come into the shop asking for bouquets. Some seemed nervous, and Rukia guessed they planned to confess while giving the bouquets to that special someone. Other times, men would ask for elaborated bouquets, and they would wear happy smiles. Rukia figured they were either planning to surprise their significant others, it was their birthday, or they were planning a proposal. She tried to make this bouquets with extra care. During those times, she often wondered how it would feel to receive such bouquets, but ended up dismissing the thought. She had never fallen in love, and she doubted it'd happen anytime soon. Besides, wouldn't it be silly if a guy gave a bouquet to a florist?

Lastly, sometimes men came in looking nervous or sad, and Rukia figured they had messed up in some way. She put extra flowers with no charge, in hopes it would make the situation better. Sadly, there were times when couples came, with women almost demanding their men to buy them flowers, which they guys did, but Rukia could tell they were annoyed. She knew those relationships wouldn't last.

The one thing she hated about her job was making flower arrangements for funerals. They reminded them too much of Hisana. Hisana was Rukia's older sister, who had taken care of her when their parents passed away. Rukia had been but a toddler, and she did not remember them. What she remembered was Hisana and their life together. Then, Byakuya came into the picture, and with him a new life. They moved with him into the Kuchiki manor, and Byakuya adopted her as his official sister. She lived a happy life with both of them, having Hisana's love and Byakuya's attention. She had never wanted for anything, until Hisana got sick. The doctors were mystified by her disease, and couldn't find the cause or a treatment that worked. Byakuya spent millions of yens in doctors, but nothing worked. In the end, Hisana asked him to stop looking for treatments and let her enjoy her last few days with him and Rukia. She died just before the sakura tress would bloom. On the funeral, chrysanthemums covered the halls. Rukia still could not stand them to this day.

"This day's so slow." She kept complaining when an hour had passed and there were no costumers in sight. Usually, during her shift there were several customers, but lately she had seen a decrease in customers and sales. "I'll probably need to tell nii-sama." She said as an afterthought. Their business could be in trouble if this kept going. It wouldn't hurt them financially, but she didn't want Byakuya's dream to collapse.

Suddenly, she heard the store's bell chiming as the door opened, revealing a young man. He looked to be about her age. He was dressed in tight jeans, a red shirt, with a messenger bag slumped on his shoulder. What struck Rukia the most about him was his orange hair. Somehow, she knew it wasn't dyed and that caught her attention.

"Welcome, how may I help you?" Rukia greeted her new customer, trying to smile as cheerfully as possible.

"Hey, I need a bouquet." The man said, straight to the point.

"Sure. Are there any particular flowers you wish to include?" She asked him.

The man scratched his head. "Umm… Actually, I was hoping that you could help me."

Rukia chuckled. "Do you want it for a special occasion?" She asked him.

"Yeah, for a birthday." The guy said simply.

Rukia nodded. "Right. So it must be festive. Does she like any flowers in particular?"

The man stopped to ponder. "I'm not sure. Yuzu's favorite color is yellow, though."

Rukia took note of this. "Do you have any message you want to give her?"

"What do you mean?" The man answered bewildered.

"Flowers have meanings, you see. Love is the most common one, but there are many more, from friendship to hate."

"There are flowers that mean hate?" The guy inquired.

"Well, not hate specifically, but negative feelings. For example, yellow hyacinths mean jealousy. Hydrangeas can mean heartlessness. But of course, most flowers have positive meanings to them." Rukia explained to her curious customer.

"Right, so what do you recommend?"

"Well, she likes yellow, and sunflowers symbolize adoration and loyalty." She said, while picking out a couple of sunflowers. "A bunch of daffodils together mean joy and happiness, which is fitting for a birthday." She showed Ichigo one bouquet she had already made, which had many yellow daffodils.

"What about yellow roses?" He asked, noticing the only flowers he knew by name.

"They mean joy, so they're appropriate for a birthday, but they also mean friendship, so I'm not sure if you want to send that message." Rukia gestured to the yellow roses she had on display.

"Well, the bouquet's for my sister, so it's alright I guess." The man said.

Rukia nodded, deep down thinking it was cute he was buying flowers for his sister. "Maybe I can arrange several flowers in warm colors. They generally mean happiness."

"It's alright by me." The guy said.

Rukia took four sunflowers. "These are fresh and joyful, great for young girls." Next, she grabbed a couple of orange gerbera daisies. "These ones symbolize sunshine of life." She informed her customer. Finally, she grabbed greenery for filler. "There, all done. Do you like it?" Rukia said, showing proudly her work to her customer.

The young man nodded. "Yeah, it's very nice. I'll take it. How much is it?"

Rukia told him the amount and the man paid.

"Thank you for your help. I couldn't have done it without you." He as he admired her handiwork.

"It was no problem. Glad I could help. And congratulations to your sister!" Rukia said as she put the rest of the flowers on their place.

"Thank you again, erm─" He trailed off, not knowing her name.

"It's Rukia. My name is Rukia, I mean." She said.

"Thank you, Rukia. I'm Ichigo." He introduced himself.

"Well, Ichigo, I'm glad you liked the bouquet. I hope to see you soon. Have a nice day!" She said and waved at him.

"Ah." He nodded. "See ya!" Ichigo smiled at her, and then left, bouquet in hand.

Rukia thought he had a gorgeous smile.

* * *

A week had passed by since Ichigo ─or the cute guy as Rukia had dubbed him─ had come into the shop, and Rukia hadn't stopped thinking about him. She felt a little dumb for developing a crush on a customer she was more than likely never going to see again, but she couldn't help it, the guy was attractive and seemed cute, buying bouquets for his sister and all. He hadn't been flirty, and yet Rukia found herself daydreaming about him. At her twenty two years of age, she should've been past the stage of crushing on strangers, however there she was, fantasizing that Ichigo would come strolling down the street, and come right into the shop to ask for her number. Yeah right. Those things only happened in movies. She sighed, and continued doing the inventory that her brother had asked for. Then, she heard the distinct chiming of the bell of the door. She turned to greet her new customer, and to her surprise she found Ichigo there.

"Hey." He greeted her simply.

"Welcome back!" Rukia regained her senses enough to be able to greet him. "How may I help you?" She said rather quickly, feeling nervous because Ichigo, the cute guy, was right there in her shop!

"So Yuzu, my sister, really liked the bouquet I gave her, and she was wondering if I could buy more of your flowers to decorate the house." He said.

"Of course. Do you have anything in mind?" She asked him, trying to keep smiling, even if she was feeling mortified at the moment.

"Actually, I was hoping you could help me with that too." Ichigo said and smiled for good measure, making Rukia mentally scream. _Why does he have to be so cute?_

"Sure. Let's start with daisies, they're very popular." Rukia said, while the man simply nodded, and let her choose the flowers.

"So, do you study at K University?" He suddenly asked her. "You seem kinda familiar. Like I've seen you around."

Rukia blushed. "Yeah, I do. This is my last year, actually."

Ichigo nodded. "Mine too. I'm a law student, how about you?"

"I'm majoring in literature."

"Oh really? That's nice. What authors do you like to read?" Ichigo kept asking her, never letting the conversation die.

"I like many genres, but mystery is my favorite. Sherlock Holmes is one of my favorite book series." Rukia said with ease, falling into familiar territory.

"So you like British authors?"

"Well, some of them."

"I'm rather partial for Shakespeare." He said, surprising Rukia.

"Really? How many of the plays have you read?"

"I've read every single one, and the sonnets."

Rukia gasped. "That's impressive! I've read all of the plays, but I haven't gotten around the sonnets yet."

"You should. They're incredible."

They started a conversation about Shakespeare, while Rukia arranged the flowers. Their talk flowed naturally, each one telling the other their thoughts about the plays, and Shakespeare's life. Soon, they got into a heated debate about Hamlet. The flowers were long forgotten.

"Get real, Ichigo, _Hamlet_ is one of the weakest tragedies. _Othello_ is far superior!" Rukia said, slamming her hands on the table for emphasis.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "It is not! If anything it's far more relatable than _Othello_. _Hamlet_ shows us humanity's true condition. What being alive means, what hate and revenge mean! Besides, wouldn't you too want to avenge your father?"

" _Hamlet_ is about inaction! He never does anything, besides acting like crazy and talking about dying. He acts on his revenge until the last second, and he messes up so badly he ends up dying and Fortinbras ends up being the hero. Fortinbras acted like Hamlet was supposed to do!"

Ichigo chuckled. "Who would've thought you'd be so passionate about a play?"

"Don't try me. I could go on for hours when it comes to books."

"I believe you. Sadly, I have to go now. But I really like this arrangement, I'm sure my sister will like it too. How much is it?"

Rukia, deflated that their conversation was over, told him the price. As he paid, he smiled at her. "Maybe I'll come back another day to keep talking about Shakespeare."

"I'd like that." Rukia answered. Both smiled, and she watched him go with a sigh. "Kuchiki Rukia, you're getting in too deep."

* * *

True to his words, Ichigo came back a week later with the excuse he wanted to buy more flowers for his house, but actually stayed about an hour talking to her about Shakespeare. He kept coming back every week, and he conversed about various topics with Rukia. The girl was delighted. She found out Ichigo was not only physically attractive, but smart and very kind. Ichigo studied law because he wanted to help people. Besides Yuzu, he had another sister called Karin, who was Yuzu's twin. The three lived with their father, who was a doctor. He was good at sports, and played soccer with Karin whenever they had the time. He was also awfully stubborn, his only match was probably Rukia herself. Although they sometimes bickered, Rukia found herself enjoying her afternoons with Ichigo, and sorely missed him when he didn't come.

"I've been meaning to ask you, does your name mean strawberry?" Rukia asked him one day to tease him.

"What?! Of course not! It means 'one who protects'!" He yelled. "And before you start teasing me about my name, what does your name even mean?"

Rukia rolled her eyes. "If you must know, it is the Japanese version of the name Lucia from Latin, which means light. It's a far better name than strawberry, if you ask me." She said at the end, pissing him off.

"Tch." He grumbled. "My name's cool…"

Rukia laughed. "Don't look so down. I was only teasing you. It suits you. Your name, I mean."

Ichigo smiled at her. "I guess your name suits you as well."

"My older sister told me my parents chose it after watching a TV program and hearing that name relating to the cosmos plant."

Ichigo was kind of surprised at hearing Rukia talk about her family. So far she had only mentioned her older brother. "So I guess you were always destined to work at a flower shop."

She chuckled. "I guess… It's too much of a coincidence that my brother loves flowers as much as he does. It's one of the things that he had in common with my sister." She added.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, he's actually my brother-in-law. He and my sister got married when I was little. They adopted me and I took his last name." Rukia shrugged.

"Is your brother-in-law the owner of the shop, then?" Ichigo asked her.

"Yeah. It's like his baby. His very proud of it."

"And your sister? Does she work here too?" He asked again.

Rukia looked down. "Actually… she's not here anymore. Nii-sama named the shop after her…"

"I'm sorry." Ichigo said.

"No, it's okay, you didn't know."

Ichigo looked down and then back at her. "I lost my mother when I was young, so I can relate."

She widened her eyes and then smiled sadly at her. "That's too coincidental, isn't it?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah. Maybe it's fate, you know?"

That made her blush.

* * *

The weeks soon turned into months, and Rukia started hanging out with Ichigo outside the shop. Sometimes they went to the movies together, or they went out to eat. One time, they had even had a cram session during their exams. As time passed by, Rukia felt closer to Ichigo, and it came to a point when she couldn't deny her feelings anymore. She had fallen for him, hard. Now, Rukia had literally zero experience in the dating game. Byakuya was very protective, and when Rukia was a teen, he never allowed her to go out without his permission and strict vigilance. The second reason for her lack of dates was the fact that she had never liked someone enough to date them. It was her luck that when she finally fell for someone, it'd have to be with someone as popular with the female population as Ichigo. Over the time they had known each other, Rukia had discovered that a lot of girls liked him, and tried hard to get him to date them, only to be rejected each time. Some of these girls were more attractive than Rukia could ever be, and the thought that Ichigo only felt friendship for her saddened her. At the same time, she was too scared to confess, so she decided to keep her feelings to herself.

It all changed one day that Ichigo came to visit her at the shop. She had been sweeping the floor, when he suddenly arrived, earlier than she had expected.

"Yo, Ichigo. What's up?" Rukia smiled cheerfully at him, walking towards her friend. "Want to study?"

Ichigo shook his head. "Actually, I came here to buy a bouquet."

"Oh?" This surprised Rukia. Ichigo had stopped buying bouquets every time he came to the shop, only buying them twice a month for his sister. "Well, do you want my help?"

"No, actually, I know exactly what I want." He said seriously.

"Okay, so what can I get you?"

"I want purple lilacs please." Ichigo said.

Rukia nodded while internally freaking out. That was an unusual flower for Ichigo to order, especially when you took into account its meaning. _First love_. However, she didn't say anything. "What else?"

"Acacia." _Concealed love_.

"Something else?"

"A pink camellia." _Longing for you._

"A red carnation." _My heart aches for you_.

"A primrose." _I can't live without you_.

"A red tulip." _Declaration of love_.

"A white violet." _Let's take a chance_.

With each flower, Rukia felt her heart breaking. Ichigo was creating a bouquet with all the romantic flowers on the book. It was obvious that he intended to confess to someone. To whom, Rukia didn't know, but whoever she was, she was a lucky girl. She felt sad and jealous at the same time.

"And twelve red roses." That sealed it for Rukia. Ichigo was going all out for this unknown woman.

In silence, Rukia put the bouquet together beautifully. She had done this a thousand times for different people, but it was the first time she had felt so sad arranging a bouquet. _Try to be happy for him_. She reminded herself as she put it together. Once she was done, she gave it to Ichigo.

"Here you go. How does it look?"

"It's perfect." His wide smile blinded her for a moment. _He must be very in love with this girl_. She thought dejectedly.

"So, I hope she likes it very much. Who is it for?" Rukia asked him once he had paid for the bouquet.

"Isn't it obvious?" He asked her instead.

"Huh?" Rukia blinked, not understanding. Was she supposed to know?

"It's for you, Rukia." Ichigo told her, smiling just like before, as he gave her the bouquet.

"What?" Rukia blurted out dumbfounded, as she received the bouquet. Her cheeks turned red.

"Do you need me to spell it out? I thought you knew the meanings of flowers." Ichigo said teasingly.

Rukia shook her head and pushed down the tears that threatened to fall down. "No, the message is clear."

"So, what do you say?" Ichigo asked while blushing, moving his feet, clearly nervous.

Rukia went to the back of the shop and returned carrying forget-me-nots. She gave them to Ichigo who smiled in recognition. _True love_.

"Is that enough of an answer?" Rukia asked him.

Ichigo leaned closer to her. "More than enough." And then he leaned down to kiss her. Rukia instantly wrapped her arms around his neck, pushing her body closer to his.

Rukia had wondered a lot of times as she arranged bouquets how it would feel to receive one of those from the guy she liked. She didn't need to wonder anymore. She knew exactly how that felt, and it was a hundred times better than she had expected.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for any mistakes. I didn't edit before submitting.

Ichigo totally had a crush on Rukia from day one, and went to the flower shop again and again just to see her with the excuse he wanted to buy flowers for Yuzu. At his home, his family wondered why ever week he brought home so many flowers.

Also, I'm sorry if the meaning of some of the flowers is wrong. I don't know much about them, so I had to rely on the internet.


	9. Between Bullets and Kisses

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Summary:** Sorry for being late again! This one-shot was just longer than I expected. I hope you enjoy it. It's more action packed than anything else, and also don't expect fluff, but a lot of humor. Again, I want to thank everyone for their reviews. I'll answer them as soon as I can!

Until tomorrow!

* * *

 **Reviews:**

 **Bleach power:** Thank you very much! Ichigo's very romantic when he wants.

 **Guest:** Thank you very much! I'm glad you're enjoying it!

 **Rhonda:** I'm not sorry! I love fluff! I'm glad you liked it and thanks for reviewing!

* * *

Between Bullets and Kisses

 **Prompt:** Spy/Assassin

 **Summary:** Ichigo and Rukia are two spies on a mission, pretending to be husband and wife. Can this mission change their relationship? And why do people keep betraying the organization?

* * *

Ichigo looked at himself in the mirror and frowned. Although people had often told him he should dye his hair black, now that he had done it something fell off. That definitely wasn't himself. He felt awkward and uncomfortable. Besides the hair, he had put on contact lenses which turned his eyes from brown to aquamarine. Over them, he was also wearing glasses, giving him a serious look. The man played with his tie, trying to tie it properly. He was wearing a tuxedo, and a white dress shirt. The black tie completed his outfit. The truth was he felt completely out of place wearing all that. He didn't look nor feel like himself, which actually was fine because he _was_ in an undercover mission after all.

"Stop glaring at the mirror. You're gonna break it." A voice jested behind him. He turned and glared at the woman instead.

Did he mention he was doing an undercover mission with his annoying partner?

"Shut up. This is all your fault for offering to do this job without asking me! You know I suck at this type of missions!" He said, still trying to tie the tie.

The woman rolled her eyes. "Relax, Ichigo. It's going to be fine. You just need to be calm and collected." Then she turned him, and helped him tie the tie.

Ichigo finally turned to look at his partner. She had put on a wig to cover her short black tresses. Her hair now was long, but still dark. She styled half of it in a bun, while the rest fell in a ponytail. Her dove eyes, usually of an indigo color, were now a deep chocolate brown. She was wearing a blue tight dress, which went to the floor and had a slit on her legs. She, too, was unrecognizable dressed like that.

"Easy for you to say. How will I fight with this damn suit?" He kept grumbling, making his partner smile in amusement.

"This is a recon mission. There's little to no chance we'll have to fight tonight." She answered as she finished tying the tie. "There, all done." She patted his chest in satisfaction. "Now, let me brief you on the mission." She turned serious.

"Yeah, what exactly are we doing here?"

"Tonight, a party's being hosted at the hotel Las Noches. The occasion is supposedly to celebrate Barragan Louisenbairn's birthday. However, our Intel managed to discover that members from the Arrancar Group will be attending tonight. In fact, Barragan himself appears to be a member as well." The woman explained.

"What rank?"

She frowned. "Espada."

"Damn. Okay, so what will we do?"

"Our mission is to pose as a married couple and infiltrate the party. We have to gather as much information as we can. Urahara-san gave us the identities of Kaien and Miyako Shiba. You'll eventually meet with Ulquiorra Cifer and Yammy Llargo. Kaien is interested in joining the Arrancar."

"And what will _you_ do?" Ichigo asked her.

"I'll mingle with the ladies and see what I find about their husbands."

"So you got the easy job and left the rest to me." Ichigo crossed his arms, annoyed.

The woman snorted. "Clearly you know nothing about women. Socializing is a tricky but integral part of every party. You have to know how to make them talk."

"So you're gonna manipulate random women to spill the beans?"

"Basically."

Ichigo laughed incredulously.

"One more thing. It hasn't been neither confirmed nor denied, but Aizen Sosuke could make an appearance." She turned serious.

Ichigo's mirth was gone in a second. "If we encounter him, what do we do?"

"Nothing."

"What?!" He exclaimed.

"Our orders are clear, we just gather information about the Arrancar Group, and then we leave. If we run into him, we pretend we don't know him and hope he doesn't recognize us."

Ichigo sighed. "Fine. But we better make it quick."

"Let's get going then, _husband_." She said and winked for good measure. Ichigo groaned beside her. "By the way, here's your ring. Don't lose it." Ichigo took the ring from her hand, and noticed for the first time she was wearing an engagement ring as well as a wedding band. His matched hers. They opened the door, and went on their way.

Kurosaki Ichigo had been working for Gotei for a year now. They were an espionage organization that had the goal of keeping the illegal actions of the Arrancar Group at bay. Their members all had been affected by this group at one point during their lives, but only those which were talented enough were contacted by Gotei. All members went through intensive training in several skills, and started with small missions. The oldest members acted behind the scenes mostly, or were in charge of the most difficult missions. Ichigo, who was still one of the newest member, got the less dangerous missions. However, he had a knack for running into trouble in almost all of his missions. He had a feeling tonight wouldn't be any different.

His partner was Kuchiki Rukia, a young woman who was the younger sister of one of the most important spies in Gotei. She had actually been the one to contact him and show him what Gotei could do, and how it could benefit him. At first he hadn't believed her one bit, and assumed she was a crazy person who had climbed through his room's windows. She proved him wrong when she took down a guy which had been recruited to assassinate him and his family. Ichigo had then accepted to work for Gotei. Rukia had then been assigned to be his mentor, and later his partner for most missions. Although sometimes she went by herself or with other members. Ichigo preferred to work with Rukia than with other people, though. After working together for so long, they were in synch. Besides, while he was often brash and quick to get into fights, Rukia was more level-headed and came up with plans to get themselves out of difficult situations.

They walked out of their hotel room hand in hand, trying to look like a real married couple. Ichigo walked stiffly, with a blank expression on his face. He was struggling to act like a man in love with his wife. Rukia rolled her eyes. Ichigo had no acting skills whatsoever, and she had a feeling that would bring them problems later that night. Once they were sitting in the car they had rented for the mission, Rukia turned to look at him.

"Ichigo, change that expression. You're going to scare everyone at the party." She deadpanned.

"Well, I'm sorry Rukia, but this is the only face I have!" Ichigo exclaimed, pissed off.

"Come on, you can do it better. Just pretend you're madly in love with me." She said, smiling.

"Easier said than done." Ichigo muttered as he drove.

"How difficult can it be? Just pretend I'm someone you used to be in love with." Rukia added. When Ichigo didn't say anything, she gasped and turned to look at him. "Don't tell me you've never been in love with anyone!"

The man blushed. "That's none of your business! Now, can we focus on the mission?"

"Right. When we arrive, we're going to walk around the room, mingling with people the room and starting conversations. Remember you're supposed to be a CEO, coming from a rich family. We'll congratulate Barragan briefly to avoid suspicions. Then, there's going to be a sort of sign when it's time for your meeting with Ulquiorra." Rukia explained, looking at her partner.

"What's the sign?"

"Urahara-san didn't tell me. He just said we'd know it when we saw it."

Ichigo snorted. "Leave it to Urahara to be so cryptic."

She laughed at that. "Anyway, you'll go and I'll stay. You get as much information as you can about the recruiting process, and who else might be involved, while I try to see if the women will talk and spill gossip. We'll meet at the main salon. Then, I'll fake feeling sick, and we'll get outta there. Piece of cake."

Ichigo nodded. "Don't you think the women will be suspicious?"

"Nah. A lot of older women are ready to tell what they know, especially if it benefits them in some way. I just have to find the right ones."

"I'll leave that to you then. Anything else I wanna know?"

Rukia smirked evilly. "Yeah. We need a story. Okay, so we met by chance on a cruise when you were on a trip in the Caribbean. You became smitten with me immediately, and we spent all of our time together on the cruise. Upon returning to Japan, we met up and started dating. You proposed to me on Venice."

"Couldn't you have come up with a less cringy and cliché story? No one's gonna believe it."

"You know nothing. They're gonna love it." Rukia replied, smugly.

"Anything else about our sordid story I wanna know?"

"We've been married for two years and we're gonna have a baby."

That last sentence almost made Ichigo crash into another car. "What?!" He yelled, turning to look at her.

"I've told you already. We need to be likeable. What's more endearing than a young couple who's in love and about to have a baby? The old ladies will love it, and no one will suspect that a pair of parents-to-be are up to something. Besides, we need an excuse to leave early, and a pregnant woman feeling sick is perfect. People will understand." Rukia kept explaining still smiling.

"I have a feeling you did this on purpose to embarrass me."

"You give me too much credit, Ichigo."

When they arrived at their destination, Ichigo got off the car, and opened Rukia's door, helping her out. He gave the valet the keys, and the couple walked to the entrance of the hotel. Ichigo put his arm around Rukia's waist, keeping her closer to him. He blushed at his own action, being unfamiliar with public displays of affection. Rukia smiled.

"Good job." She whispered at him.

The salon was very elegant and it was filled with around five hundred people. All guests were dressed as elegantly as the occasion demanded, and talked in small groups. Waiters surrounded them, serving champagne as well as canapes. Both spies had recognized many famous and wealthy people. Barragan certainly had many friends. Speaking of the man himself, he was in the middle of the salon, greeting many of his guests. Rukia's eyes scanned the room but found no traces of Ulquiorra or Yammy. Aizen wasn't there either.

"Are there here?" Ichigo whispered in her ear, pulling her closer to his body.

 _He's actually a good actor_. "No." She shook her head. "But we can't stand here, we need to introduce ourselves."

Ichigo nodded, and they both walked further in. They noticed a group of people had turned to look at them. It consisted of an old lady in her seventies, two men and a young woman.

"Good evening." Rukia said smiling.

"My, my, what a handsome young couple! Who might you be, darlings?" The old woman said.

"My name is Shiba Kaien, and this is my wife, Miyako." Ichigo answered after feeling Rukia poking him on his arm.

"Shiba Kaien? Yes, I think I've heard of you. Your father is very rich, is he not?" The old woman asked him.

"Ah, that's right."

"Hah! I thought so! I am Goda Harumi, and these are my friends from Europe, Pesche Guatiche, Dondochakka Birstanne, and their niece Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck." She said, introducing the two men and the young woman who accompanied them.

"It is a pleasure to meet you." Rukia said, and they all shook hands.

They started a polite conversation about the party and the guests. Then, they moved on to speak about Goda-san's friends, and how she had met them. The woman talked a mile a minute, and Rukia quickly realized that if there was anyone who would definitely tell her the information she wanted, it was this woman. She just needed to play her cards well.

"Do you want champagne?" A waiter interrupted them, offering them the beverages.

"No, thank you." Rukia declined.

"Come on, darling! My dear friend Barragan went all out, and bought the best quality champagne you'll ever drink. Take advantage of that!" Goda Harumi said, taking for herself a glass of champagne.

"Well, you see, I cannot drink right now." Rukia said sheepishly, and then pressed a hand gently on her abdomen. _She's a really good actress_. Ichigo thought, and then he gently pressed his hand on hers, just for good measure. _We need to sell this as much as we can_.

The effect was immediate. Goda gasped. "Oh! You're pregnant! Why didn't you say so? Congratulations, you two!" She said loudly, prompting other people to look at them. Ichigo blushed.

"Congratulations!" The men said, and shook Ichigo's hand again.

Nelliel smiled at them. "How far along are you?" She asked politely.

"Two months." Rukia answered instantly, having practiced beforehand.

"And what do you wish to have? A girl that looks like her beautiful mother, or a handsome lad like his father?" Goda said enthusiastically.

"It doesn't matter to us, as long as the baby is healthy." Ichigo said with easiness. Rukia smiled at him.

Goda nodded. "Right, right. Oh, here comes the birthday boy. Barragan! I've been waiting to talk to you all night!" As the old woman had said, Barragan, an old man himself, came walking towards them.

"Harumi-san, don't be so loud! I'm right here." He exclaimed, but accepted the kiss the woman gave him on his cheek.

"I'm just happy to see you. I've missed you, you know? Oh! But come, greet my new friends, Shiba Kaien and his wife Miyako. Isn't she gorgeous?" Goda kept babbling while Barragan eyed the young couple.

"Shiba, huh? Yes, yes, I've heard of you. I invited you, didn't I? Welcome to my party." He said, shaking hands with both of them.

"Thank you for inviting us." Ichigo said.

"But isn't she gorgeous?" Goda repeated her earlier question.

Barragan eyed Rukia in a way Ichigo did not like. His old eyes were full of lust. Ichigo's grip on Rukia tightened, pulling her closer to him.

"Yes, indeed she is. You do know how to pick 'em, eh, Shiba?" He jested.

Ichigo laughed awkwardly. "Yes, she's the most beautiful woman in the world." He said, staring at Rukia's eyes, who blushed in response.

"And that glow! You cannot miss it! That's the glow of a woman who's expecting!" Goda kept saying.

"Is that so? Then congratulations are in order to both of you." Barragan said, then turned to Goda-san to ask her a question.

The conversation prolonged itself as Pesche and Dondochakka started retelling one of their adventures in Russia. Rukia used the time to analyze Barragan and realized he kept looking at the far end of the hall, clearly expecting someone to arrive or something to happen. Ichigo noticed it too, and pressed his fingers against her waist, signaling he was thinking the same thing that she was. But before either could do something, a man crashed right into Ichigo, who yelped.

"I apologize deeply." A man said with a monotonous voice.

"Just be careful next time." Ichigo replied trying to subdue his anger.

"Oh, Ulquiorra, you're here." Barragan said. "Ulquiorra, these are my new friends the Shibas, and you of course remember Harumi-san, Pesche, Dondochakka, and Nelliel-san."

The man nodded. "It is a pleasure to meet you." He said, and shook Ichigo's hand, slipping a paper in it.

"Likewise."

After conversing for a couple of minutes, Ulquiorra excused himself, and then he was followed by Barragan. Ichigo realized this was his cue to leave.

"I need to you the restroom. I'll be right back." He said, and then kissed Rukia's knuckles, leaving the woman dumbfounded. He left after that.

"Miyako-san, your husband is so romantic!" Goda gushed, watching the man leave. "And so handsome!"

Rukia, who was still stunned from Ichigo's behavior, laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, he is." _What's with him? Is he getting better at acting?_

"You're such a lucky girl!" Goda remarked, and patted her on the arm.

"So, how did you two meet?" Nelliel suddenly asked her, surprising Rukia, who raised an eyebrow. _She's acting suspicious_.

"Oh yes, darling! Tell us all about it!" Goda said approvingly.

 _This is my only chance to get what I want_. "Actually, we met on a cruise."

"How romantic!" Goda, unsurprisingly, exclaimed.

"Where did you go?" Nelliel kept asking questions.

"It was a cruise to the Caribbean. We went to Cuba and other isles. We met during the captain's dinner. Kaien instantly talked to me, with the excuse I was the only other Japanese person there, but he later confessed he had liked me instantly." Rukia finished.

"Oh, of course he did!" Goda said.

"We spent the whole cruise together, and then we promised to meet again in Japan. We did and we have been together since." Rukia said.

"And how long have you been married?" Nelliel pressed her again. This wasn't coincidental. Rukia felt like the young woman was onto them.

"Two years." Rukia said. _You want the whole story, I'll give it to you_. "He proposed while we were on vacations in Venice. We got married six months later, and here we are."

"That's splendid! He's such an incredible man!" Goda said. "And so affectionate! He kept holding you!"

Rukia blushed once again. "That's my husband for you. Always romantic."

Goda was about to say something else, but a boisterous voice interrupted them. The group turned to look at a man with blue hair who was laughing obnoxiously. Goda sneered in disgust.

"What is that man doing here?" She exclaimed, then pursed her lips together.

"Barragan-san invited him." Pesche answered, but he seemed as disgusted as the older woman.

"Pardon me, but who is that?" Rukia asked.

"That's Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. An insufferable man, who has quite a reputation. He's in the trafficking business, and has done all kinds of outrageous things. I do not know why he was invited, but Barragan is clearly out of his mind."

 _An Espada_. Rukia thought. She had heard about him before.

"Do not be like that, Grimmjow is Barragan-san's friend. Those are just rumors." Nelliel said quickly.

Goda shook her head. "They aren't. There are a lot of bad men in here, child. Barragan befriends them so they won't hurt him, but they're bad company, I tell you. We must all keep to ourselves, and ignore them as much as possible."

Rukia figured it was time to get her to talk. "A lot of them are here? How will we be able to avoid them?" She said, feigning being worried.

"Luckily I can tell you all about them. There's that mad scientist called Szayelaporro Grantz." She said, pointing at a man with pink hair. "Then there's that harlot of Tier Harribel, who has slept her way up of the fashion industry." Then she pointed at a woman with big breasts, dark skin, and short blonde hair. "And do not get me started on that good for nothing of Nnoitra Gilga." She said, making Nelliel pale.

"Goda-san, please, let's not bother Miyako-san with such talk." Nelliel interrupted.

"You're right, this is grim talk for a pregnant woman." Goda nodded and she looked around. "By the way, where _is_ your husband, Miyako-san?" She asked Rukia, who frowned. She look around and, as she had thought, Ichigo was nowhere in sight. She hoped his meeting didn't take long and was productive enough.

 _Where are you, Ichigo?_

* * *

Ichigo walked towards a hall, hoping it was empty. After checking it actually was, he took out the piece of paper Ulquiorra had given him earlier. _Meet me at the Luna Room_. It said. Then, the spy went to search for said room, all the while grumbling. Of course Rukia had the easy job, while he had to go all by himself in search of the room. Luckily for him, it wasn't far away from the salon where the party was taking place. He sighed and mentally braced himself for what he was about to do. Under no circumstances they should be discovered. Readying himself, he knocked.

"Come in." The same monotonous voice from earlier said.

Ichigo opened the door and closed it behind him. The room was small but elegantly furnished. It was painted in cold tones of lavender. Ulquiorra was sitting, and next to him was a tall and fat man who Ichigo assumed was Yammy.

"Take a sit." Ulquiorra instructed and Ichigo instantly sat down in front of them. He analyzed them. Ulquiorra was pretty thin and sickly pale. However, the spy knew he shouldn't underestimate him, for the man had a dangerous aura about him. Yammy seemed strong, although slow due to his weight and height. He'd have a hard time escaping them if things went wrong.

"So, I have been informed you wish to join us, Shiba Kaien." Ulquiorra spoke again, straight to the point.

"That's right." Ichigo answered.

"How did you hear from us?" Ulquiorra asked again.

 _Damn, I should've practiced for this_. Ichigo internally panicked but tried to remain calm, thinking what Rukia would do in such a situation. _Bullshitting my way through the situation._ "Everywhere. You're famous."

The man nodded, pleased. "And why do you wish to join us?"

"I believe in what you do, and I want to be of use to you."

"And how do you expect to improve our organization?"

"I can benefit your organization with my knowledge and contacts. I also have the resources."

"Very well. Now all we have to do is see if you are actually cut to be here." Ulquiorra said.

"I'm sorry?"

"Did you think joining us would be as easy as presenting yourself to an interview?" Ulquiorra asked almost ironically, looking down on Ichigo. "We need to see if you have the right skills."

Ichigo nodded. "So what do I have to do?"

"We are led to believe one of our cargos will be intercepted on August 11th by an espionage organization. Your job will be to stop the spies, in order for our cargo to reach its destination." Ulquiorra explained while Ichigo raised an eyebrow. That certainly was not a job for a rookie. He also wondered how the Arrancar Group had gotten that information, since it was classified by the Gotei. Not even he knew about it. _It seems we have another traitor in our ranks_. "Do you think that you're up to the task?"

Ichigo nodded.

"Then, we will expect you on the Karakura dock on the date mentioned beforehand at 5 am. Do not be late."

"Wait, I don't have to meet you before or train with you?" Ichigo asked, clueless. The recruiting process couldn't be so simple.

"No. As I said before, if you're cut off for the job, you will do it without failing. Or else…" He trailed off and Ichigo gulped. "Now, if you'll excuse us, Yammy and I have to leave. It seems there are a couple of spies in the party." With that, both men exited the room, leaving Ichigo with one thought in mind. _Shit! I have to go back and get Rukia!_

* * *

The conversation with Goda-san and the others kept flowing, with Goda talking the most. Rukia was already tired of such nonsense and wanted to go home, but Ichigo was nowhere in sight, and that worried her. Besides, Nelliel seemed to be getting suspicious because every five minutes or so she asked about Ichigo's whereabouts.

"He's been having certain stomach problems." Rukia had answered to get her off her back, but to no avail. Nelliel kept asking, and she was starting to ask very personal questions. Rukia had already realized she was part of the Arrancar Group, but didn't know which rank she had.

"I'm sorry lovelies, I'll be right back." Goda said and walked to greet other guests.

Rukia suddenly tensed, noticing Nelliel had walked closer to her. She could feel the other woman's breath on her cheek. "You should be more careful with what you wish to know." She muttered, loud enough so that only Rukia could hear her.

Rukia laughed. "I'm sorry. I don't know what you're talking about, Nelliel-san." She said, appearing calm.

Nelliel frowned. "Just beware. There are people here who will do _anything_ to keep their secrets to themselves."

Rukia parted her lips to speak, but was saved by Ichigo's arrival. "Miyako!" He exclaimed, and immediately held her, pretending to kiss her on her cheek. "We need to go." He whispered.

Just then, Goda-san walked back to the small group. "Kaien-san, welcome back! We were thinking you had gotten really ill in the restroom!" She exclaimed, making Ichigo blush. What the hell had Rukia told them?

He chuckled. "I had to attend an important phone call and time passed by too quickly."

"That's my husband for you. He takes his job seriously." Rukia said sweetly, making Ichigo cringe.

"As he should!" Goda-san expressed.

They made polite conversation for a few minutes, before Rukia pretended to faint. She grabbed onto Ichigo, and let her body fall backwards. Ichigo, who caught on quickly, immediately held her. "Miyako!"

"Ah, I'm sorry. I feel kinda dizzy." She expressed, as Ichigo tried to make her stand steadily.

Goda seemed very preoccupied. "Oh, my poor darling! Being pregnant seems difficult. Maybe you should head home."

Rukia nodded. "Yeah, maybe we should."

"That's a shame." Nelliel suddenly said. "I was really looking forward to seeing you express your love. I'm a bit of a romantic, and I like when couples kiss." Both Ichigo and Rukia frowned.

"Ah! That's right, Nelliel-san! I so wanted to see you two kiss. You're so adorable!" Goda gushed, clapping her hands.

"We'd like to stay more, but I think it'd be best if Miyako goes home and rests." Ichigo retorted quickly.

"Just one little kiss, please." Goda begged.

"As spouses, it shouldn't be hard to kiss." Nelliel added.

Both spies sweatdropped, knowing there was no way they could escape from this situation. Rukia turned to face Ichigo. The man looked at her, blushing. He grabbed her waist and pulled her closer to him, starting to lean down. Rukia was startled, but one look at Ichigo's eyes, and she knew she had to play the game. Shee stood on her toes, because even with high heels she couldn't reach Ichigo. Rukia closed her eyes, and waited for Ichigo's lips to meet hers. The effect was immediate. Ichigo's lips were surprisingly soft, and they felt hot against her mouth. She moved her lips against his, knowing that a simple peck wouldn't satisfy their audience. However, she wasn't expecting to enjoy herself. Ichigo seemed to be enjoying himself as well, for he started licking her lips, making her gasp. He took advantage of that, and slid his tongue inside her mouth. Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Who would have thought Ichigo was such a good kisser? Breathing heavily, they parted, and looked at each other. Rukia recognized lust on Ichigo's eyes, and by the heat that was pooling in her belly, Rukia knew she felt the same too.

Goda clapped behind them. "My, my, that was so passionate! You two are very in love!" Behind her, Nelliel growled. Her plan of exposing them had failed.

"Anyway, we're glad you liked it, but we really need to go." Ichigo said, excusing them.

"Of course, of course. Miyako-san, please rest, and let's hope we meet again soon!"

"Yeah, we'd like that!"

Ichigo and Rukia took their leave, holding their hands to keep maintaining the image of being in love. Once they were inside the car, they finally talked about the information they had gathered.

"I got the name of four members of the Arrancar Group and their profiles. Besides them, I think we can include Nelliel on that list." Rukia said quickly.

"Yeah, she seemed too suspicious. We'll have to look her up." Ichigo nodded.

"What about you?"

He grimaced. "It seems the Arrancar Group is already aware that Gotei plans to intercept the cargo on August 11th."

"We need to inform this immediately."

"Yeah, and that's not all. Apparently the process of recruiting involves new members going on missions with no training."

"That might explain the sudden disappearances there have been lately. It might be people who failed the process." Rukia said, writing everything down.

"Yeah. They also knew we were there. That's why I told you we needed to go." Ichigo then explained.

"You know what that means, don't you?" She said, turning serious.

"We have another traitor."

Both remained silent the rest of the ride, their minds going over the events of the night, and briefly stopping over their shared kiss. It couldn't mean anything, could it? It was just a kiss.

* * *

"See, I told you it'd fall off." Rukia said smugly.

Ichigo kept examining his hair, which had returned to its original orange color. "Yeah, but what if it didn't?" He complained.

"Don't be such a baby, Ichigo."

Both spies walked the halls of the headquarters. It had been a week since their mission at Barragan's birthday party, and they had gone back to their usual looks. Ichigo with his orange hair and brown eyes, and Rukia with her short hair and indigo eyes. That same night, they had stormed into the headquarters and had told Yamamoto Genryusai, the leader of Gotei, what they had found out. The effects were immediate. After gaining the knowledge someone was betraying them again, Yamamoto started browsing file after file of all the spies until he had an idea of who that person could have been. Ever since Aizen's betrayal, Gotei couldn't take any risks.

Aizen Sosuke had been an elite member of Gotei. He often went on the most dangerous missions, and gained a lot of Intel for Gotei. However, when Ichigo had been a member for barely five months, Aizen and two others, Ichimaru Gin and Tosen Kaname, orchestrated a massive attack at the main offices, which resulted in a few deaths and several injured people. Rukia and Ichigo had been on the list of the ones injured for they had been at exactly the wrong place at the wrong time. It was a miracle the two had had minor injuries. It was also a miracle that a lot of the top spies hadn't been there. However, Aizen's betrayal couldn't be forgotten, and knowing one of his spies had infiltrated them was a scary thought.

A few days ago, Yamamoto had declared he had found the traitor. Hinamori Momo had worked for Aizen for many years, and everybody knew just how much the young woman admired and adored Aizen. She had taken his betrayal the worst, refusing to believe he was a traitor and was actually the leader of the Arrancar Group. These facts made it easy to make Hinamori the primary suspect, and she had been taken away to the cells for interrogation.

"It's not her! Free Hinamori!" Hitsugaya Toshirou, one of the top spies and Hinamori's childhood friend, exclaimed when she had been taken away.

"I'm afraid we have no choice but to interrogate Hinamori. We cannot take any chances." Yamamoto had explained, but it hadn't been enough for Hitsugaya.

"I'll find the real traitor!" He had declared, and he had spent the past days trying to find evidence that would condemn the real traitor.

As for Ichigo and Rukia, they had been summoned to the headquarters, most likely to receive a new mission. Each had their own thoughts about the situation. Both felt guilty that through their discovery, Hinamori had been imprisoned. However, even if Hinamori was innocent, they felt like they had made the right decision.

"Do you think Hinamori did it?" Ichigo asked his partner as they continued walking.

Rukia frowned. "I don't know. She doesn't look like the kind, but then again, neither did Aizen."

"Ichimaru was always fishy, though." Ichigo added.

The woman recoiled. She had always hated that man. "You can say that again."

They finally made it to the room where they were expected. Rukia knocked twice, and opened the door when Yamamoto gave them permission to come in. The two were surprised to see that, besides Yamamoto, a lot of the top spies were gathered in the room. They could see Kyouraku Shunsui and Ukitake Juushiro, Yamamto's first spies, as well as Unohana Retsu, Soi Fong, Zaraki Kenpachi, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, Komamura Sajin, Hitsugaya, Urahara Kisuke, Shihouin Yoruichi, and Rukia's brother, Kuchiki Byakuya.

"What's all of this?" Ichigo asked, clearly surprised.

"Kurosaki, Kuchiki, please take a seat." Yamamoto commanded them.

They did as they were told, and waited until they were given instructions.

"We would all like to congratulate you for the success of your latest mission." Yamamoto said. "Thanks to the information you gathered, we have found the names and profiles of all of the Espada. Urahara searched further, and realized Aizen intends to make one more person an Espada. This is where the mission Ulquiorra Cifer gave Kurosaki comes into play. Apparently, they want 'Shiba Kaien' to become the ninth Espada, however he first needs to successfully complete his mission, which was if I recall correctly stopping us from intercepting their drug cargo." Everyone nodded. "Ulquiorra Cifer and Yammy Llargo are in charge of observing Shiba Kain's performance. However, Shiba Kaien will never make an appearance. Instead, Kurosaki, Kuchiki, is to stop that cargo from leaving the dock. There is no room for failing. Do you understand?"

"Hai." They both said with a strong voice.

"Then, I'll leave you both to prepare. The best of luck to you."

They were soon dismissed after that.

"This is just great." Ichigo complained once they were outside. "Ulquiorra's totally going to recognize me, and probably you too."

"We're spies. We're trained to do this stuff. I honestly thought you'd be more excited. Intercepting and sinking tons of drugs in the sea is way more interesting than doing a recon mission."

"I don't know. I feel uneasy about it." Ichigo said, feeling strange ever since they were given that mission.

"What makes you uneasy, Kurosaki-kun?" A voice said behind him.

"Gah!" Ichigo yelled, frightened. "Inoue!" He exclaimed once he recognized the owner of that voice. "Don't do that again!"

"I'm sorry, Kurosaki-kun. I thought you had heard me." The woman apologized. "Say, did you receive a new mission?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, just now."

"Well, good luck to you, Kurosaki-kun, and you too, Kuchiki-san." The young woman said, turning to Rukia this time.

"Yeah, thanks Inoue." With that, the girl nodded and went away, the eyes of the other two following her until she was out of view.

"She likes you, you know." Rukia said.

"Shut up!" Ichigo angrily muttered, his cheeks turning red.

"What? It's true." Rukia insisted.

"Why do you care? By any chance are you jealous?" He commented.

Rukia flushed visibly, images of their kiss entering her brain. She scoffed. "Of course not."

"Anyway, what should we do about the mission?" Ichigo changed the topic, still feeling distressed about the situation.

"What we always do, prepare."

Much to Ichigo's dismay, their mission came way too soon. Yamamoto hadn't found anything against Hinamori, but he still kept her in a cell just in case. Hitsugaya kept investigating everyone trying to find the real traitor, but had been unsuccessful thus far. This situation created an air of uneasiness around Gotei, which made Ichigo's nerves worse. He felt like they would fail the mission, even if he knew that was the wrong mindset to have on the eve of said mission. At 2 am on August 11th, Ichigo and Rukia went to headquarters and gathered all the things they might need such as guns and bombs, prepared by Urahara in advance. Both wore black leather suits which gave them enough mobility. At 3:30 am they made their way to the dock, hiding themselves at a strategic position. They waited.

"Do you see anything?" Ichigo asked Rukia, as she observed the docks with her night vision binoculars.

"Not yet." She whispered. "But it's going to be soon. He said at 5 am, right?"

"Right."

They waited fifteen more minutes until Rukia recognized two figures walking around the docks. "There." She muttered, and passed the binoculars to Ichigo. The man saw Ulquiorra and Yammy inspecting a huge container which Ichigo assumed was the cargo. They also sometimes looked around, obviously searching for the two spies who were currently observing them.

"So what do we do?" Ichigo asked Rukia.

"I think we should wait until they leave, and the cargo is being shipped, then─" But Rukia couldn't continue explaining for she saw a red light. She instantly recognized it as belonging to a rifle. "Duck!" She yelled at Ichigo and jumped down, taking the man with her.

"Fuck!" Ichigo cursed. "Have they discovered us?" He panicked.

The woman pursed her lips. "It seems so, take out your guns, I'll see if I can get their location." She took her binoculars again and observed in all directions until she saw the sniper. "Shit, he's right on top of us!"

Ichigo cursed again, and aimed at the sniper. However, before he could shoot, they were attacked again for another direction. Wood from one of the boxes they were using as cover fell on top of them. They barely managed to dodge one that would have crushed them.

"There's no use in hiding. We'll have to attack too." Rukia said grimly. Ichigo nodded. "On three. One. Two. Three!"

Each jumped out of their hideout, placing their backs together, and shooting at several figures in dark clothing. Somehow, they managed to avoid the bullets, and they took out three of the four figures. The last one ducked and hid. Ulquiorra and Yammy were nowhere to be found.

"Where are they?" Ichigo asked, and before Rukia could answer, she screamed in agony. "Rukia!" He shouted, and grabbed his partner, who was clutching her shoulder. Blood spilled from her injury in huge amounts, which alarmed Ichigo.

"So you actually came, Shiba Kaien." A monotonous voice said. Ulquiorra and Yammy were standing near them, protecting the cargo. "Or should I say Kurosaki Ichigo? How is your wife doing?"

The spy watched this wide-eyed, still grabbing his partner. "How?" He just managed to say.

"I think it's time you reveal yourself, woman." He said, and the last figure took off his mask, revealing none other than Inoue Orihime.

Ichigo gasped while Rukia managed to rasp out weakly. "Inoue?"

Inoue Orihime was their newest member. She appeared to be a very sweet girl, who was very clumsy but smart, so her job mainly consisted in helping Urahara track devices, hack into computers, and observe from afar suspicious individuals. Never in a million of years could any of them have imagined the traitor could be her. Out of everyone, she was the least likely to betray them, and yet here was the evidence.

"I'm sorry Kurosaki-kun, Kuchiki-san, but it had to be done. This cargo can't be lost. Aizen-sama would be very mad if it did." She said with her usual cheerful voice, which sounded strangely darkly.

"Why? How could you!" Rukia shouted, and struggled against Ichigo's arms, making her injury worse.

"I just do what's best for me, Kuchiki-san." Orihime said and then had the gall to laugh.

"So, what will you decide, Kurosaki Ichigo. Try to defeat us, or save your partner before she bleeds to death?" Ulquiorra said.

Ichigo gritted his teeth. The choice was obvious even if it was something difficult to do. He gathered Rukia in his arms as gently and quickly as possible, then jumped, avoiding the bullets Yammy was shooting at him. He managed to run until they were far from the docks.

"Ichigo! What are you doing? We have to go back and try to stop them!" Rukia yelled as he ran.

"Can you shut up? There's no way we can do anything with your condition! I need to get you to the hospital right away!"

"But the cargo─"

"Rukia, your life is way more important to me than that damn cargo, so stay put and let me get you to the headquarters, we need to stop the bleeding or you'll die!" Ichigo yelled at her, surprising the woman in his arms.

"Okay." She said, and Ichigo ran faster until he reached the car. Then he sped until he reached the headquarters, where Rukia would be attended.

The future seemed more uncertain now, and he was still in shock over recent events. He couldn't believe Inoue could have betrayed them so. However, he was mostly glad Rukia was alive and would be fine. The injury hadn't been as major as he had thought initially. For that he was grateful. If he had lost Rukia, Ichigo wasn't sure what he would have done. Their kiss flashed once again in his mind. After this was all over, Ichigo was totally going to kiss her again.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for any mistakes. I didn't edit before submitting.

Who figured out Inoue was the traitor? If you did, you deserve a cookie!


	10. Unmasked

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Summary:** Thank you for the positive feedback I received last chapter! Honestly, I had never written anything about spies, so I'm glad I nailed it. Now it's time for another setting I'm unfamiliar with as a writer: superheroes. I'm not really a fan of comic books, but I have watched movies from both DC and Marvel and watched Sailor Moon as a child, so I hope that helps. I was also inspired by Miraculous Ladybug, another series that will be the death of me. If you're unfamiliar with it, don't worry, although I put some references in this story about it, it doesn't change anything. I hope you like it!

Until tomorrow!

* * *

 **Reviews:**

 **Bleach power:** Thank you very much! No, I've never written anything about spies, but I'm glad you liked it. Maybe I'll write more crime stories in the future.

* * *

Unmasked

 **Prompt:** Superheroes

 **Summary:** Ichigo is not your average high school student. He's Protector, the beloved hero of Karakura Town. However, he has an ongoing rivalry with Ice Queen, a renowned heroine. What will he do when he discovers her secret identity and realizes not only that he has known her all along, but that she's his crush?

* * *

Ichigo yawned rather loudly in class, making all his classmates turn to look at him.

"Is my class boring you, Kurosaki?" Ochi-sensei said, glaring at the boy.

"No, sorry, I'm just tired." Ichigo excused himself, making all of his classmates laugh at him.

"Hmp. It better not happen again." The teacher threatened him, and then continued on with the lesson.

It wasn't Ichigo's fault he was so sleepy. It's not like he had gotten to bed late playing videogames or browsing the internet. He had more important things to do, for example protecting the citizens of Karakura from villains at night was one of them. Kurosaki Ichigo was no ordinary high school student, you see, he was actually Protector, the teen superhero in charge of defending Karakura from the massive attacks of Chou, a villain who wore a white butterfly suit, and had his minions wreak havoc around town for no apparent reason. More often than not, the attacks were in the middle of the night, so he had to get up and fight, only to return home and have a few hours of sleep.

 _God, I wish Chou got a hobby or something._ Ichigo thought as he tried to pay attention during class. Lately, the super villain had attacked Karakura daily. Although Ichigo had tried to minimize damages when fighting, it had been to no use, streets and buildings needed repairs. Luckily, no citizens were hurt so badly they needed to go to the hospital. Still, Ichigo wished he could do more for them. More than anything, he wanted to stop Chou once and for all, but he rarely showed himself, using his minions instead.

The boy was so deep in thought that he missed the chime ringing, signaling it was lunch break already. He stayed in his seat, and eventually fell asleep, having a dreamless nap. He woke up when he felt something poking his arm. He opened his eyes and saw a girl with short black hair, and indigo eyes, smiling at him and offering a cup of coffee. Her name was Kuchiki Rukia, one of his classmates.

"Here you go." She said, giving him the cup of coffee.

"Ah, thank you." Ichigo said, his cheeks turning red.

"You looked like you needed it. You gotta take care of yourself more, Ichigo." Saying that, she left him alone.

The seventeen year old boy sighed. It was probably no secret to anyone, but he had had a massive crush on Rukia ever since she had been kind enough to tutor him on a subject he was flunking due to his hero activities. It had been almost two years since that day, and he still hadn't had the courage to confess, mainly because Rukia was not your average student, she was _the_ Kuchiki Rukia, younger sister to _the_ Kuchiki Byakuya, owner of many companies in Karakura Town. She was super rich, and everybody wanted to be her friend or date her. Ichigo had a lot of competition. He too didn't want to scare her away. Their friendship was enough for him, or so he told himself.

Suddenly, deafening screams were heard just outside the school. A man with blue hair and a white tight suit was destroying the street, trees, and buildings surrounding Karakura High School. Ichigo frowned. That had to be one of Chou's minions. He couldn't lose time, he had to go outside and stop him.

"Everyone, calm down! We have to go to the auditorium! We'll be safe there!" Ochi-sensei shouted to their students.

Ichigo didn't heed her words. He ran past his classmates and locked himself in the restroom. There, he took out a badge he had, and used it to transform into his superhero persona. His uniform changed into black robes, and a black mask covered his eyes. His hair also turned black. This way, no one would be able to recognize him. Ichigo looked around, and found a window, which he used as an exit. Then, he landed right at the front of the school, glaring at the villain.

"Ah, _Protector_ , I'm glad you could come!" The guy said. "I was dying to fight you!"

Ichigo tensed. "Who are you?"

"I'm Pantera! And I'll show you I'm King of the Jungle!" The villain exclaimed, and proceeded to throw at Ichigo the blue rays he was using earlier to destroy the streets and buildings.

The young hero easily dodged the attack, and retaliated with an attack of his own. Then, he jumped to the street, so that the school wouldn't be affected. There, they kept fighting, throwing rays at each other, as well as punches. Pantera kept throwing insults here and there, but Ichigo just rolled his eyes. Why did villains always want to talk in the middle of fights? They kept brawling, but then Pantera threw a car at Ichigo, who was too late to crush. However, before the car could reach him, it froze midair, and then broke in a thousand pieces.

"Thought you could use some help." A voice said behind him.

Ichigo turned around and gazed at a girl standing there. She had short white hair, and was wearing a dress and mask as white as her hair. She was Ice Queen, another hero in Karakura, who usually fought beside him.

"So the _princess_ came out of the castle to play." Pantera taunted her, making the girl frown.

"It's Ice _Queen_." She hissed, narrowing her eyes. "Is this clown giving you a hard time?" She then turned to the hero.

"Go home, _Ice Queen_ , I can handle it." Ichigo said instead.

The young heroine rolled her eyes. "I want to fight too, _Protector_. You're not the only hero in this city."

"The little girl is right. There's room in this party for one more. Now, let's dance!" Pantera interrupted them, and started attacking both at the same time. The heroes dodged, and starting fighting back.

"I'll admit you have style, but your moves need practice!" Ice Queen said, and then froze the floor, so that Pantera could fall. He leapt instead and stood on top of a building. "Well, you really have the reflexes of a cat." She added.

Ichigo rolled. "Could you stop with your puns? We're in the middle of a fight!" He yelled at her.

Ice Queen merely smirk. "Am I getting on your nerves, Pro-tec- _tor?_ " She said in an unusually sweet voice, which made Ichigo cringe.

"Whatever, just pay attention! We're in the middle of a fight!" He yelled at her.

"Glad you two lovebirds are finally focusing on our fight!" Pantera exclaimed from above them.

"We're not lovebirds!" Ichigo yelled back, his cheeks turning red.

"Watch out!" Ice Queen screamed, pushing Ichigo out of the way of Pantera's attack, receiving the full force of the attack instead.

"Ice Queen!" Ichigo screamed, and reached her, grabbing her in his arms.

"I'm fine." She said, clutching her abdomen.

"No, you're not!" Ichigo yelled, infuriated. Then he glared at Pantera. "You're gonna pay for this!"

"Yes! That's what I wanted to see! Avenge your girlfriend!"

"She's not my girlfriend!" Ichigo shouted, and attacked Pantera.

The two men fought throwing punches as well as rays. Ichigo tried to keep the fight on top of the rooftop to minimize the damages, but Pantera kept leaping around. Since Pantera also moved a lot, it was difficult for Ichigo to pinpoint the exact location of the man's weak point. All of Chou's minions had a thing in common: they had a very small hole on their bodies, which, when pressed, made them explode in a puff of air. That is how they defeated all of their opponents. However, this guy was making it impossible for Ichigo to localize the hole. He was also worried about Ice Queen, who had taken a pretty hard blow.

"Very good, Protector, but I'm tougher than you!" Pantera suddenly exclaimed and tried to use his arm to claw at Ichigo's chest. Once again, the villain was stopped by ice covering his body. "The fuck?"

"You might be tougher than Protector, but you're not tougher than me!" Ice Queen exclaimed as she used her ice powers to freeze Pantera into place.

"Bitch!" Pantera exclaimed and broke free, only for his feet to freeze. "What?!"

"Protector, now!" Ice Queen yelled at him, and Ichigo nodded.

The hero used Pantera's distraction to look for the hole. _Got it!_ As it were, it was almost in plain sight, right in the center of his stomach. "ARGH!" He shouted, preparing himself to use massive amounts of energy, and then threw his attack, making Pantera poof. The citizens who had watched the whole fight, clapped and cheered for the two heroes.

"Great job, Protector. Saving the day as always." Ice Queen approached him, moving her hips as she sauntered towards him.

"I didn't need your help." Ichigo said grumpily. Ice Queen only smirked.

"That might be true, but you can't deny we work better as a team." She said flintily, moving her index finger up his chest.

Ichigo gulped. "Thanks, anyway. For your help, I mean."

"Whenever you want, Protector." The heroine said, and then jumped off the building, and out of Ichigo's view.

The superhero sighed. His relationship with Ice Queen was complex to say the least. She appeared on scene at the same time as he had. Almost two years ago, Chou had started attacking the city, and there was no one to stop him. Ichigo had found a badge on his bed one day, and upon touching it, it had given him the powers he had now. He had been scared at first, but a man wearing green robes and a stripped hat, presented himself to Ichigo and explained him he had become a superhero, destined to fight and defeat Chou. He had thought the strange man was joking at first, and ignored him. Then, he reluctantly used his powers to fight when he noticed two of his classmates had been targeted by one of Chou's minions. He fought clumsily and had almost been knocked out, when something froze the villain's arm. Ice Queen had entered the scene, and helped him defeat the villain. Ever since, they often fought together, but weren't partners. Ichigo had asked her once a long time ago to fight crime together, but she had answered with a negative. "I fly solo." After that, a rivalry had developed between them. Both competed to see who arrived at the scene first and got to defeat the villain. In the end, they always fought together and came out victorious.

Ichigo had become annoyed at her. He didn't understand why she always got involved in his fights. He arrived first, and when she appeared, she went into the fray as if they were partners or something, when it was she who had refused to be his partner in the first place! It got worse when Ice Queen started _protecting_ him. He was Protector, damnit, he didn't want anyone else getting hurt when he could fight and protect them all. Ice Queen got hurt often too, trying to help him. It was frustrating. His fights were none of her business, and yet, she was there every time. She also liked to flirt with him for no reason. Ichigo thought it was another way to annoy him. He couldn't believe she actually liked him or anything. Not that it mattered, he was in love with Rukia, after all.

Figuring his teacher and classmates were probably looking for him, Ichigo jumped off the building, and headed to the school, trying to remain unseen. He jumped to the window where he had exited and detransformed. He went out of the restroom, and walked towards the auditorium. He passed by the gym and noticed a white light coming out the hall. He stopped dead on his tracks, and gaped as he saw Kuchiki Rukia standing there, grasping a white ribbon in her hand. Ichigo acted quickly and hid himself in one of the bushes nearby, and watched the girl walk away.

He couldn't believe it! Rukia, his crush, was Ice Queen, his rival?! What had the world come to?! No, it couldn't be! Rukia was serious and kind, while Ice Queen was sarcastic and kinda bitchy. His mind couldn't reconcile the possibility that the two could be the same person. In a dazed, he walked to the auditorium and joined his classmates, his eyes sometimes straying to look at Rukia.

* * *

Once he got home, Ichigo started analyzing his current situation. It seemed Rukia had powers just like himself, but could she be Ice Queen, or was she someone else? As far as he knew, the only hero other than himself was Ice Queen. The other people with powers in the city were Chou's minions. Ichigo figured he could ask the strange man who had given him his powers his questions, but decided against it. Hat and Clogs, as he called him, never told him anything useful, and his help was disguised with riddles. He was insufferable.

The only possibility was that Kuchiki Rukia was Ice Queen. Ichigo searched for a picture of Ice Queen online and compared it to one he had managed to take of Rukia when she was distracted (and no, he wasn't a stalker, just an admirer). Both had short hair, which reached a bit below their necks. Rukia's, though, was black, while Ice Queen's was the complete opposite. That in itself didn't mean anything, for Ichigo's powers changed his hair to black, so it was possible it did the same to Ice Queen's. Now, they both had the same body type, being short and thin. Ichigo tried to think hard to remember if they were of the same height. He realized they were of the same height or close enough. Next, he compared other features that weren't covered by the mask, and he got startled when he noticed Ice Queen's eyes. He hadn't truly noticed before, but they were of the same indigo color as Rukia's own eyes. He flushed. Rukia was definitely his fellow heroine. God! He had insulted Rukia! And what was way worse, Rukia had flirted with him while being Ice Queen! Fuck! He would never be able to meet her eyes again whether as Rukia or Ice Queen.

After the initial shock had subsided, Ichigo paced around his room thinking about what was the best course of action he should take. Should he pretend he hadn't seen anything? For their well-being, that probably was for the best. He'd take the secret to the grave, and Rukia would be in no harm of being found out. However, perhaps it'd be helpful if they could contact each other, and keep the other inform when there was an attack. It could improve their safety too. Maybe this time, she would agree to be his partner. The thought made Ichigo blush.

"This is impossible!" Ichigo yelled, grabbing his head and pulling his head. "I'll never be able to tell her!"

"Ichigo, stop making so much noise or I'll kick you!"

* * *

The next day was a nightmare for Ichigo. Every time Rukia smiled or so much as looked his way, Ichigo blushed remembering all the times she had touched him as Ice Queen, or all the times he had held her in his arms. He had been so obvious, that his friends started asking him if something had happened between them. If his crush wasn't noticeable before, now he was sure the whole classroom knew about his feelings.

Feelings? Did he still like Rukia? Did that mean he had feelings for Ice Queen? He was confused. Ichigo knew that Ice Queen was still Ice Queen no matter who she was without the mask. She was brave, smart, tough, flirty, and bossy. That didn't mean Rukia wasn't any of those things. Perhaps Ice Queen showed the qualities Rukia kept to herself, just like Protector encased everything Ichigo couldn't be as a normal student. Protector was strong, bold, and openly caring, while Ichigo was shy and reclusive normally. Those were still parts of his personality. Now, could he learn to love that other side of Rukia? He turned to look at her, using his History book to cover himself. She was currently speaking with her friends, when one of them said something funny which made her laugh. Ichigo smiled. No, it didn't change anything. Rukia would always be Rukia, no matter what. If anything, now he knew another facet of her. Ice Queen was important to him too.

Later that same day, another villain who called herself Tiburón attacked Karakura, this time it was near the mall. Ichigo found he had a hard time concentrating on the fight the moment Ice Queen stepped in the scene. As always, she was reckless in her attacks and got hurt. Ichigo's heart wrenched painfully inside his chest as he saw her fall.

"Ice Queen!" He shouted at her, and was immediately by her side.

"Damn, she's tough." Ice Queen complained as she stood up.

"Are you alright?" The hero asked her anxiously.

"I'm fine, focused on the fight!" She barked at him, and threw ice to Tiburón, who side stepped.

"Is that the best you can do? You two are a disappointment." Tiburón said, making Ice Queen growl.

"The only disappointing thing will be when we defeat you!" She exclaimed, and attacked again.

Ichigo watched her mesmerized. Ice Queen was extremely graceful and strong. Her powers were magnificent. She could freeze objects and break them. She could use ice to trap her opponents. Sometimes, she used her ice as a shield or made ice take the form of blades to pierce her enemies. She was simply breathtaking.

"Protector! I found the whole!" Ice Queen called him, snapping him out of his daze.

Ichigo focused his eyes on Tiburón's body, and realized the hole was on her lower abdomen. "Yosh!" He exclaimed, and attacked, piercing her hole, and making Tiburón poof.

As the crowd cheered, the heroine turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "Protector, are you alright? You seemed distracted just now."

Ichigo sweated. "No, it's nothing."

"Oh? I thought you had finally fallen in love with me." She said, smiling seductively at him. Ichigo flushed. "It doesn't matter! I'll definitely get you next time!" Saying that, she went away, leaving a flustered hero behind.

Ichigo gulped and went on his way. Ice Queen had no idea that he was already madly in love with her, but with her civilian identity. He'd never hear the end of it if she found out his secret identity. Distracted, he hid himself in an alley, and detransformed. After the black light that appeared each time he transformed and detransformed vanished, he realized he had an audience. There, standing wide eyed was none other than Kuchiki Rukia, aka his long time crush, aka Ice Queen. Ichigo gasped and stuttered trying to come up with an explanation, but no sound left his mouth. Rukia, however, soon started giggling, and then ran to him until she was only a few centimeters away from him.

"Found you." She blurted out, and then she hugged him tight, making Ichigo gasp.

"Yeah, you did." The hero finally rasped out, and then he put his arms around the girl, returning the hug.

From afar, a figure cladded in green watched them with a smile. "And so the plot thickens."

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for any mistakes. I didn't edit before submitting.

Chou, meaning butterfly, was Aizen, haha. It was a nod to Le Papillon, just Aizen actually has a butterfly suit.

Pantera was Grimmjow and Tiburón Harribel.

I'm sorry if the superhero names were lame, but it was the best I could come up with. Ichigo was almost named "Karakura Man", s I guess "Protector" is an improvement. And the damn love square got resolved in this one-shot! So yay for that! Also, if you didn't notice, Rukia was always in love with Protector and was glad he happened to be her classmate and friend Ichigo.


	11. The Setting Sun

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Summary:** Thank you very much for reading, reviewing, following, and putting this story in your favorites! I smile every time I read your reviews, or when I noticed someone else is following this story. You all rock! As for today's theme, well, it's angst, so here come all the feelings. I know a lot of you prefer light hearted stuff, but it couldn't be helped. Tomorrow it's time for fluff, so I hope that helps! Anyway, hope you like it anyway.

Until tomorrow!

P.S. I wrote this one-shot while it was raining.

* * *

The Setting Sun

 **Prompt:** Angst Daily Themes: Rain, Ghost, Breathe

 **Summary:** After many years, Rukia goes to Karakura Town to visit Ichigo one last time.

* * *

They are close. So close that he can hear her breathing gently, he can feel the warmth radiating from her, and her reiatsu enveloping him in a soft cocoon, his own responding in recognition. It is familiar. It is like being at home. And her fingers are also close to his, but he doesn't dare cross the line and touch them. He knows they are soft and calloused at the same time, as well as cold as ice. Still, he doesn't dare. He can't.

"Rukia?" He calls to her. She turns her dove eyes to him.

"Yes?"

"Do you remember when you told me that when I was ready to talk, that I could come to you and tell you everything?" He sees the memories flashing across her indigo eyes, just as they are flashing in his own mind. A graveyard, trees, imminent danger, a fifteen year old boy, a Shinigami in a gigai, and a promise. It feels like it happened a lifetime away. In some ways, it has been a lifetime since then.

"Yes, I remember, Ichigo." She answers simply, trying to recover from the daze she was trapped in thanks to the memories.

"I'm ready now." The man says softly.

Rukia's lips part as if she were to say something, and then she shakes her head. "I'm here. I'm listening."

"My mother she was… well, there's only one way to put it: she was like the sun, and my whole family ─dad, Yuzu, Karin, and me─ revolved around her. I loved her more than anything in this world. Whenever I cried or felt bad, I just had to look at her to feel happy again. I think it was the same for my sisters." He pauses to take a breath, and Rukia scoots closer, to hear him better.

"Go on." She says smiling.

"When I was a kid, my parents told me the meaning of my name, 'he who protects', and since then I decided I wanted to protect people, my sisters, when they were born, my dad, and my mom. I wanted to show my mom I could protect her, that I could be her strength." He laughs at his childhood memories. There were of a time when he had been carefree and truly happy. He cherishes them now, almost with reverence.

"But… things didn't stay the same." He sobers up instantly. "When I was eight, I was walking home with my mother on a rainy day. At that time, I couldn't really distinguish humans from spirits, so I fell for Grand Fisher's lure, which I'm sure you know about."

Rukia nods. "Yes, I heard he used a lure to attract spirits and humans."

"The lure took the form of a girl, jumping into the river. I thought it was a real person, and I hurried to rescue her. My mom shouted at me, telling me to come back, but I didn't listen. Then, something hit me and I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was resting on the grass… and my mother was on top of me… I called to her, but she didn't answer… she was gone."

"Ichigo." Rukia whispers, and raises her hand to reach his own. But she stops midway, and brings her hand to rest on her lap. Ichigo wishes she had put it on top of his hand instead.

"For the longest time I thought her death had been my fault. I felt extremely guilty that, because of my actions, I had ripped my family apart. My dad was left without his precious wife. Yuzu and Karin were left without a mother to raise them. If only I hadn't run, if I had listened to my mother, then she would be alive. Other times, I thought it'd be best if I had been the one who had died. Don't get me wrong, my family never made me feel as if it had been my fault, and they would surely be angry if they heard me say something like this. But, deep down, I had that seed of self-hatred inside of me. Hating myself for being powerless and defenseless when I should've saved my mother. And then I got involved with the Shinigami world, and found out that a Hollow had killed my mother. Grand Fisher. It hadn't been an accident.

"Do you remember when you pointed out I might have attracted the Hollow with my high reiatsu?" He asks, and Rukia shakes her head.

"Don't remind me. I was tactless. I was a fool. I shouldn't have implied that you caused her death. It was awful of me."

Then, Ichigo shakes his own head. "You didn't mean to. You tried to make sense of a situation in a way any Shinigami would. You were trying to help me. And then I thought that if a Hollow had been after me from the beginning, my mother, a simple human, wouldn't have been able to protect herself anyway. One of us would've died that day." He takes a deep breath before continuing. "That day at the cemetery, my dad told me that my mother had died protecting me. But as it turns out, it was much more complicated than I had thought, for she in fact fought Grand Fisher to save me."

This surprises Rukia. "What?"

"Maybe you've heard already… maybe not. But I might was well tell you this now too. My mother was a Quincy."

Rukia blinks. "I… I heard something along those lines." She admits. "I was surprised at first, but then… not so much."

Ichigo laughs. "I was just as surprised when my father told me. Who would've thought that a Shinigami and a Quincy would fall in love and get married? But it happened. As it turns out, when dad was still a captain, which I know _you_ know, he came here to investigate a weird Hollow, which happened to be an experiment by Aizen, like most everything that has happened in Soul Society." He says ironically, and Rukia chuckles. "Anyway, he came here, found the Hollow, and fought it. My dumb father was getting bested during the fight, and almost lost, when a girl appeared out of nowhere, and fought the Hollow. That girl was my mother, a teenager back then. She was of a pure blood line of Quincies, and was living with Ishida's family, no less. The Hollow hurt her, though, and my mom fell ill. Urahara-san came to the rescue and said that the only way to save her was for my father to tether his life to hers, becoming a human, the opposite of a Hollow. That's how I got my Hollow powers… from my mom, I mean."

Rukia listens and doesn't say anything, just getting closer to him, for Ichigo's voice started getting softer. "She died because of Ywach." He says suddenly.

The Shinigami gasps. "What?"

"He stole her powers, and she couldn't protect herself. That's why she died fighting against Grand Fisher." Then, he starts coughing.

Rukia reaches him and rubs his back. "Maybe we should stop this conversation. It's making you ill."

Ichigo shakes his head. "No, I need to tell you… If I don't tell you now, I might never be able to."

Rukia sighs at his stubbornness. He hasn't changed. In some ways, he is still the same fifteen year old boy she met many years ago. "Then, proceed."

"I guess that what I mean to say is ever since her death, I felt powerless, as if I couldn't do anything. And then, you came along and showed me this new world, and gave me the power to protect. So, thank you, Rukia."

She shakes her head. "No, there's no need to thank me. You always had power within you, you just didn't know it then. All I did was release it."

"I don't think so. Without you, I might have never developed them."

"It might have been better." Rukia says bitterly. "You wouldn't have had to be in so many battles. You wouldn't have lost your powers."

Ichigo breathes shakily. He cannot imagine a world where he never met her. The thought is unbearable. With shaky hands, he takes hers into his, feeling the smooth skin under his thumbs. "Never say that again, Rukia!" He says passionately. "My life got better when I met you. I wasn't powerless anymore, and I found someone who could understand…" He decides to keep going and spill his heart. It's his last chance. "Those seventeen months without seeing you or hearing from you were hell. You have no idea how happy you made me when you came back."

Rukia starts tearing up. "Oh, Ichigo." She squeezes his hands, giving him strength.

"And then… and then we both got separated again, right?" He says, remembering the end of the war, Ywach, the Quincies, and the Soul Society in ruins. "We made some tough decisions."

The Shinigami bites her lips. "It had to be done."

"Duty won against the heart. But it's always like that, isn't it?" He says, not bitterly nor remorseful, just stating a fact.

"That's the life of a Shinigami." Rukia agrees, and starts pulling her hands away when Ichigo grabs her more fiercely this time.

"I've missed you, you know. I've missed fighting Hollows with you, going to school with you, bickering with you, even your ugly drawings…"

"Hey! My drawings aren't ugly!" Rukia bites back immediately, falling back into their old dynamic.

"That's what I mean." Ichigo smiles. "You gave meaning to my life in ways I can't describe. But I had to let you go, and let you live your life. And I've lived mine. I can't say there haven't been regrets, or that I have been happy the entire time. I can't say I stopped missing you or thinking about you every day these past decades. But I've tried, because I knew you wouldn't want be to be sad."

"No, not at all."

Ichigo entwines their fingers. "Do you regret it?"

"There are things I'd change. Other memories, I'd keep the same." She states, and Ichigo smiles. He knows what she means.

"I'm glad I could at least see you one last time." He says. It's getting hard to breathe. "I had a feeling I'd see you today."

Rukia smiles, caressing his knuckles. "I too had a feeling today was a good day to visit."

It starts raining, and the sound lulls Ichigo. He can barely keep his eyes open. All he wants to do is sleep, but fears Rukia will disappear from his sight, leaving behind a specter, like it has happened before.

"I'm tired." He whispers. The rain starts falling harder outside.

"I know." Rukia says sadly, still touching his hands.

"Is it alright if I sleep for a bit?" He rasps out, his eyes already closing.

"Yes." She says, hardly keeping her tears at bay.

Ichigo closes his eyes, the last thing he sees is her face, smiling at him. It doesn't matter if it's been already sixty years since the first time they met, she's still as breathtakingly beautiful as ever. Her skin hasn't been touched by time, whereas he has lost all of his youth, ending up frail and wrinkly. His hair is gone now, as all of his body muscle. And he's so damn tired all of the time. Now, more than ever. He closes his eyes, smiling, the image of Rukia on his mind.

The old man in front of her falls asleep, his chest rising and falling with difficulty. He isn't breathing correctly. Each breath seems to be his last. Rukia cries openly now. There's something she can't will herself to ignore anymore. Kurosaki Ichigo is dying. This seems to be his last day on Earth. It hurts to see him in pain. It hurts to see the boy she saved, the one who saved her, in this state. He looks so weak. A far cry from the hero that's edged on Rukia's brain. The man who destroyed the Sokyoku to save her.

Rukia continues holding his hands, her thumbs softly moving against his skin. It's rough and wrinkled, but warm. It's Ichigo's. She waits until Ichigo hardly breathes anymore. A machine connected to his heart starts beating. Doctors and nurses surround Ichigo, never once realizing that there's a Shinigami in the room. They try saving him, they bark orders at each other, but Rukia knows it's too late. Today is the day, and she came because she couldn't miss it.

Ichigo's heart stops, and Rukia's own seems to stop too, as she waits for the inevitable to happen. The old man in the hospital bed isn't breathing, but the spirit in front of her is. He is different to the dead man. He is strong, tall, and his aura exudes youth. His hair is orange again, and his warm brown eyes look directly at hers.

"Rukia." He whispers, and she bursts out crying. Her Ichigo is back.

"Let's go home." She says, her hand reaching his. He takes it.

The two Shinigami leave the hospital room together, disappearing from view.

Outside, the rain stops.

* * *

 **A/N:** Before anyone asks about Renji, Orihime, Kazui, and Ichika, I completely ignored them in this fanfiction, so ignore them too please.


	12. Perfect

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Summary:** Thank you so much for your reviews! I know a lot of you cried when reading last one-shot, but I'm glad you still liked it. Now, today it's time for some fluff, my fvaorite genre as you might have noticed. Now, over the course of these one-shots and in general of my IR stories I realized I had written first kisses, first time together, the wedding, the arrival of their first child, getting back together, and more, but that I had never written the IR first date. Since that's unacceptable, I decided to write it here. So, here's the IR first date, along shenanigans from other characters. Now, this isn't an AU, as for the timeline it's a few months after the end of the war. It's Semi Au-ish for I decided to ignore the last two chapters altogether. So, no IH or RR in here.

I hope you like it!

Until tomorrow!

* * *

 **Reviews:**

 **Bleach power:** Thank you very much! And don't worry for not reviewing last chapter, I hope you and your family are alright!

* * *

Perfect

 **Prompt:** Fluff Daily Themes: Sun, Heart, Perfect

 **Summary:** Ichigo and Rukia finally go out on a date.

* * *

Kurosaki Ichigo was anything but vain. He didn't care that much about his looks or the clothes he wore. It if was comfortable and his style, he'd wear it. However, today he actually wanted to dress nicely. He raided his closet, frantic, looking for something decent at least. He found nothing, zilch, _nada_. All he had were ripped jeans and several T-shirts. The teenage boy cursed loudly. Of course he didn't have anything to wear on this special occasion.

"Onii-chan, are you alright?" His little sister said, knocking the door.

"Yeah, Yuzu, don't worry!" Ichigo said, running his hand through his hair.

However, his bedroom door was opened, and in came both of his sisters.

"It looks like a tornado passed through here." Karin said, whistling.

"Gah! Who gave you permission to come in?!" The boy yelled, feeling completely embarrassed.

"Why are your clothes on the floor?" Yuzu asked instead. "Is something wrong with them?" She said innocently.

"It looks more like a wardrobe malfunction." Karin commented, inspecting the clothes.

"Are you putting together an outfit, onii-chan?" The youngest Kurosaki said. "I can help you with that! What's the occasion?"

"Isn't it obvious? It's clearly for a date with Rukia-chan." Karin said matter-of-factly, making her brother blush.

"Wait, that's not─"

"Did someone mention my third daughter?" Isshin stormed into the room looking wildly everywhere. "Wait, why are all your clothes on the floor, Ichigo?"

"Onii-chan's got a date with Rukia-chan!" Yuzu exclaimed, grinning.

"What?! Seriously?!" Isshin yelled, looking at his son.

"That's not it!" Ichigo shook his head vehemently, his cheeks red.

"There's no need to feel embarrassed, Ichi-nii. We all know." Karin said.

"Finally! My idiot of a son is becoming a man! And with my dear third daughter, no less! Ichigo, you're making your papa proud!" Isshin ran to hug him, but Ichigo kicked him.

"Can you guys please not make this weird?" He pleaded, already giving up on the hope to dissuade his family that he wasn't going on a date with Rukia when he, in fact, was going on a date with said girl.

"It's not weird, onii-chan! We all know how you feel about her, and we're glad you're together now!" Yuzu said. From the very beginning, she had known Rukia was special to his brother, and was excited his feelings were mutual.

"Honestly, it took you too long." Karin muttered.

"We were beginning to think you had been friendzoned!" His dad interjected, making his three children stare at him as if he had grown a second head. "What? I keep with the slang of the youth."

"In any case, if you're having problems, you can always ask us for help, y'know?" Karin said, her words holding more meaning than what could be inferred at first.

Ichigo sighed. He knew that he would regret this later, but he had run out of options. "Fine. I'm taking Rukia out on a date around the city. What should I wear?"

Yuzu squealed, Karin nodded approvingly, and Isshin yelled loudly.

"We have a lot to do! Starting with your hair!"

"Hey!"

His family was very obnoxious, but Ichigo couldn't be too mad about it right now. It was a joyous event, really. This was his first date with Rukia after all, and it had to be memorable.

After the war, Ichigo had started contemplating about many things regarding his life. That had been the closest they had ever been to the end of the world. He could have died. His friends could have died. _Rukia_ could have died. Life was too short to waste it away with nonsense. So, Ichigo decided to take his life into his own hands. First, he told his sisters that he was a Shinigami and everything that had to do with his job. Karin didn't seem surprise. Yuzu had accepted everything, although she did admit she was worried about him. Secondly, he told his father that he was seriously thinking about not being just a part-time Shinigami anymore, but taking it as a full-time job. He'd become a Shinigami instead of going to college. Isshin accepted that fact, for he know that was what made his son happy. Lastly, he put his feelings for a certain Shinigami in order. He had always known Rukia mattered to him more than just a friend, but he hadn't put those feelings into words. Now, though, he was brave enough to acknowledge the fact he had fallen in love with her. Ichigo decided to let her know, because they could have died, and she would have never known his true feelings. He confessed, expecting nothing, and was surprised when Rukia told him that she loved him back. They had been together since, but hadn't actually gone out because of Ichigo's schoolwork and Rukia's job managing the 13th squad now that Ukitake had, sadly, passed away. The two of them had been through too much, and that is why Ichigo wanted their first date to be perfect. His life would keep going, and he would make the best of it, Ychwach's words be damned.

"There! Do you like it?" Yuzu said. She had put together an outfit which consisted on dark tight jeans, black sneakers, a red shirt, and on top of it a black shirt.

"Yeah. It looks good, Yuzu." Ichigo said, feeling satisfied with her choices.

"Here." Karin said, passing him his leather wristbands. "They complete the look."

Ichigo smiled at her, and put them on.

"Now, let's do something about that hair, Ichigo!" Isshin said, taking out of nowhere a comb and gel.

"No! Leave my hair alone!" Ichigo yelled, covering his hair with his hands.

"I agree on this one with Ichi-nii, dad. He looks better with his hair as always." Karin expressed.

"Yeah, plus Rukia-chan likes him with his hair like this." Yuzu said, making her older brother blush.

"Ah, well. I guess you look good, son. Now, let's talk about your date. Always be a gentleman, bring enough money for food, drinks, and other things Rukia-chan might want, give her your jacket if she gets cold, and most importantly, bring protection, I do want to be a grandfather but not right now." Isshin's three children blushed heavily.

"Stupid goat chin!" Ichigo shouted and kicked his dad.

"I just want you to be careful!" Isshin yelled back, punching Ichigo.

"We're not doing _that_!" At this point they were brawling on the floor.

"Look, just take them. I'll be happy to have mini Ichigos and Rukias running around, but you do not want to face Kuchiki Byakuya's wrath, right?" The older Kurosaki said, cleaning the blood from his mouth.

"Fine!" Ichigo said, and took the condoms his dad was offering him. "But at least we could've had this conversation in private and not in front of Yuzu and Karin!" He pointed to his sisters who were still there.

"Oh no! What have I done?! I've tainted my beautiful daughters' innocence! Masaki, I have failed you!" Isshin cried, and hugged both of his daughters.

"Dad, we took health class in school already." Karin deadpanned, and got away from her father's embrace.

"Well, it's time. I gotta go pick Rukia." Ichigo said, starting to walk down the stairs. His family followed him.

"Good luck, onii-chan, I hope you have fun!" Yuzu said, and hugged him briefly.

"Tell Rukia-chan we said hi!" Karin added.

"And I hope you brushed your teeth, son. Don't want to scare her away after the first kiss!" Isshin joked.

"I'm leaving!" Ichigo retorted, slamming the door shut.

The three remaining Kurosakis watched him go with a smile on their faces. Then, Isshin ran to the poster of his deceased wife that he had hung up on the kitchen. "Oh, Masaki! Our son's finally a man!"

* * *

"So, where is Kurosaki-san taking you today?" Hinamori asked Rukia.

"Just around town. Maybe even to this thing called 'movies'." Rukia answered simply.

"Sounds exciting!" Isane said. "Maybe we should have movies in our next meeting."

"Yes. That's an excellent idea." Nanao nodded in agreement.

"You should take advantage of it, and go shopping, making Ichigo pay for it." Rangiku joked, winking for good measure.

"Rangiku-san, stop giving Kuchiki-san ill advice!" Nanao scolded the blonde woman, making Rukia laugh.

The female lieutenants were currently at the 13th squad barracks, helping Rukia get ready for her date with Ichigo. _Date_. She had never expected she'd actually get to experience something as human as dating, but here she was, getting ready for a date with a human boy. Her cheeks turned red just by thinking about it. Although it was true she had harbored strong feelings for Ichigo for a long while now, she hadn't expected to get into a relationship with him, let alone go on dates. It was something special, though. They had been officially together for some time now, but had spent little time together. When her schedule was suddenly freed for a day, it was the right moment to go visit Ichigo. She didn't expect him to ask her out on a date. Yet, here they were, and she couldn't be happier.

"What? It's perfectly sound advice. The guys always pay, you know." Rangiku defended herself.

"Yes, well, I do not think Kuchiki-san is going out with Kurosaki-san to mooch off his money." Nanao replied.

"Guys, relax. It's going to be something simple. We just want to spend some time in each other's company." Rukia said simply, cheeks rosy and a soft smile on her face.

"That's so romantic!" Hinamori exclaimed, swooning a bit.

"Yeah, it is." Nanao conceded.

Rangiku glanced at Rukia and smiled. The normally stoic Shinigami looked very happy. She had never seen such a calm expression on her face. It was clear to Rangiku that her fellow comrade was very in love with Ichigo. She felt a slight pang of sadness. Rangiku hadn't forgotten about her friend Orihime, who was in love with Ichigo as well. Then, there was Renji to think about. Both were heartbroken after the news broke out. However, Rangiku knew that they would have to get over it. There were times when first loves didn't work out. You can't make someone fall in love with you. She thought, remembering her own experiences. Yet, despite pitying her friends, Rangiku was also happy for Rukia and Ichigo. They deserved to be happy after everything they had been through.

"So, what are you going to wear?" Rangiku asked her.

Rukia shrugged sheepishly. "I was thinking about a dress, but I don't know."

The girls nodded approvingly.

"Make sure it's dark blue, so that it compliments your eyes." Hinamori advised her.

"And it shouldn't be too short. Just above your knees. That way it's classy and feminine." Nanao added.

"Add a necklace or other accessories to go with it." Isane said.

"And pair it with killer heels. They'll make your legs look long and sexy. Ichigo will appreciate it, believe me." Rangiku said.

"Rangiku-san!" Nanao said, scandalized.

Rukia just laughed. "I will." Then she looked at her phone. "Well, I gotta go. I'll see you later!" Rukia said and dashed out, leaving her friends behind.

"I wish I could go on a date too." Hinamori whispered.

"I'm sure if you ask my taichou, he'll say yes." Rangiku said deviously.

"Rangiku-san!"

"Stop meddling with other people's affairs." Nanao scolded her.

"Yeah. Whatever." Rangiku shrugged. "So, who's gonna tell Kuchiki-taichou that his sister might not come home tonight?"

The four women blanched.

"I'll prepare beds in the 4th squad for the unfortunate receivers of his wrath." Isane muttered.

* * *

Rukia opened the Senkaimon and landed in Karakura Town. She smiled, breathing deeply the air around her. She always felt calm when coming here. It relaxed her. Still smiling she walked to Urahara's shop, where the man was already waiting for her with her gigai. She put it on, ignoring Urahara's lewd remarks about the reason she had come for a visit. She asked him for the nearest mall, and started walking on that direction, still ignoring his words. Rukia noticed it was sunny, so that meant she would get away with using a dress like she had originally planned. She looked around the first store she found, and was lucky to find an indigo dress with short sleeves. She tried it on. It was a little shorter than what Nanao had recommended, but she liked it. Next, she grabbed a pair of black flats to go with the dress. She wasn't going to listen to Rangiku. Using her human currency, she paid for the outfit, and then returned to Urahara's to get dressed. There, she waited for Ichigo to come at exactly 3 o' clock.

"Kuchiki-san~! Kurosaki-san's here~!" Urahara announced, and Rukia came out of the shop, to find Ichigo waiting for her. His clothes suited him. He looked very handsome.

"Yo." Ichigo greeted her with a smile on his face.

"Hey." She said, a bit shyly.

"Let's go." He said, and Rukia walked towards him, nodding to Urahara on the way out.

"So, how have you been?" Ichigo asked her.

"A bit busy with the repairs and everything. Things have calmed down recently, though." She explained, noticing their hands were almost brushing.

"That's good to hear. Things were really bad last time I went." Ichigo said, remembering Soul Society's current state.

"And you? How's school?" Rukia asked him next.

"Busy. We're having exams soon, so I've been reviewing with Ishida a lot."

Rukia smirked at that. "Oh, so Ishida's your tutor now?"

Ichigo frowned. "Don't remind me. He's the worst teacher ever. He has no patience and is always scolding me."

"Oh, poor, baby." Rukia said, patting him on the cheek.

"Mock me all you want, but it's true. He's ruthless."

The girl chuckled. "And your family?"

"Dad's as crazy as ever." Ichigo said, rolling his eyes. "The twins are good. They say hi, actually."

Rukia beamed at that. "Tell them I say hello too, and that I'll visit them soon."

"You will?" Ichigo asked her, surprised.

"Yeah… I mean… if you want me too." She blushed at that.

"Of course."

"Then it's a plan."

They both smiled at each other. Ichigo reached out and grabbed her hand. Rukia smiled, and entwined their fingers.

"So, what's the plan?" Rukia asked him, realizing they were walking to a mall near the school.

"I thought we could eat while we wait for the movie to start." Ichigo said. "There's a nice place around here. I think you'll like it."

Rukia nodded and followed her boyfriend. They arrived at a nice and quaint restaurant which served a variety of dishes. They were seated at a cozy table for two people. It was almost secluded, giving them the privacy they both liked to have. Ichigo ordered curry, and Rukia was a bit more adventurous and ordered an Italian pasta. As they ate, they conversed about different things, and Rukia laughed at Keigo's latest antics. Ichigo seemed interested about the reforms Kyouraku was implementing and the changes they were going to be in the Soul Society. It seemed the place was going to be less rigid.

"Nii-sama talked to Kyouraku-soutaichou about the possibility of helping make things in Rukongai better for the souls living there. I think he was inspired by my sister. Many other Shinigamis supported his idea." Rukia said.

Ichigo marbled at the fact Byakuya had changed so much since the first time he met him. He liked that the noble was using his privilege as captain and noble to bring about change in the Soul Society. Although, Ichigo was aware he wasn't doing it _just_ for his late wife. There was a very important reason for that petition, and it was standing beside Ichigo.

"There's been talk about rebuilding the Sokyoku." Rukia announced grimly.

Ichigo frowned. "What for?"

"It's apparently an important landmark." Rukia said, stabbing his pasta.

"It's a sign of oppression and death, that's what it is." Ichigo muttered, remembering Rukia's execution.

"I don't think they're going to rebuild it, though. A lot of Shinigami are against it. Nanao even started a petition against that motion."

"I'll sign it next time I visit."

Their conversation turned light again, as Rukia retold a story starring Kiyone and Sentarou, and their inability to work as a team unless it's meant to impress someone, such as their lieutenant. Soon, it was time for the movie. Ichigo paid for their food, while Rukia teased him for being a gentleman. Then, they walked to the cinema and Ichigo paid for their tickets as well. They were going to watch an adventure film about a couple of spies discovering a great conspiracy against their organization and other secrets. Ichigo figured action was a good genre, for both weren't really the romantic kind, and watching a horror movie on the first date seemed like a cliché to Ichigo.

The film was action packed as it had looked in the trailers, but soon the couple discovered it was more than that. The premise was interesting, and the actors knew how to execute the performance. Ichigo was intrigued to know who was betraying the organization, and how would the spies discover it. Then, the movie took a turn when it became clear something was going on between the protagonists. At one point, the main female character took a shot to save her partner, and almost died as a result. Ichigo could feel the protagonist's raw emotions at seeing his partner laying on a pool of blood for his sake. He could understand it perfectly. The helplessness of not being able to protect someone important to you, and having to watch them suffer as a result. The woman confessed to her partner in the midst of chaos, and then she dramatically fainted, while the man screamed. Ichigo thought that part was a little too much, but got distracted from the movie when he heard weird sounds from beside him. He turned and found Rukia was actually crying, wiping furiously the tears that kept falling. That surprised him at first for Rukia wasn't overly sensitive. Then, he understood the reason why she was crying. He smiled, and pulled her close to him. Rukia gasped, but then buried her face on his chest. Ichigo patted her back. She smiled at him gratefully. In that moment, Ichigo thought she looked just like the sun.

They exited the cinema, each telling the other their own impressions about the movie, and what they have liked and disliked about it. They had both agreed that, even though some parts had been too dramatic and cliché, they still would watch it again for the climax. As it turned out, the most unexpected character had been the traitor all along. Ichigo was sure that the film would be widely talked about just for that twist.

Their next step was the mall. They didn't need to buy anything, but Ichigo wanted to spend more time with Rukia. They entered some stuff, and browsed the several items the stores sold. Ichigo tried on some glasses just to amuse Rukia, who laughed out loud at his bizarre choices. When they passed by a jewelry store, Rukia gazed at one of the necklaces on display, remembering that Isane had told her to accessorize. Ichigo noticed her gaze, and went into the shop, buying that necklace, while ignoring altogether Rukia's complaints.

"You didn't have to buy it." Rukia said, shaking her head.

"You liked it, and I wanted to give something to you, to commemorate the date, you know."

Rukia chuckled. "You're surprisingly romantic."

"Shut up." Ichigo said, blushing as he helped Rukia putting on the necklace. It was simple. The chain was silver and it had a pendant in the shape of a heart. Isane had been right. A necklace really complimented the outfit.

They kept walking, casually strolling around town, their hands entwined. Once the sun set, it was time for Rukia to go back. Honestly, she wanted to stay longer, but it was impossible. She had duties she couldn't ignore. Ichigo, noticing her sad look, promised to visit the following weekend. Rukia nodded happily, already planning to take out Ichigo and show him some places he hadn't seen yet. Once they reached Urahara's, they stopped, turning to look at each other.

"I had a lot of fun today, Ichigo." Rukia said earnestly.

"I'm glad." Ichigo said.

"We should do this again."

"Yeah, any time you want. We can go to the beach, next."

"I'd like that."

The conversation had ended but neither had moved yet. Rukia bit her lip, expecting Ichigo take the hint. He blushed, appearing to think about it, and then he grabbed her hands.

"I really want to do this again."

Rukia leaned closer. "Me too."

Ichigo took this as enough confirmation to do what he wanted to do, and leaned down, pressing his lips softly against hers. Rukia made a sound in approval, and deepened the kiss. Ichigo pulled her closer, and continued kissing her until both were out of breath.

"See you, Ichigo." Rukia said, as they separated.

"Yeah. See you next weekend!"

Rukia smiled and opened the Senkaimon. She waved once, and disappeared from Ichigo's view. He sighed and smiled. The date had been better than he had expected. It had been perfect.

* * *

 **A/N:** The movie they watched is actually inspired on one-shot number 9 in this collection, "Between Bullets and Kisses", so we had IR watching a movie about them in another universe. Inception.


	13. Ravenous

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Summary:** Hello, lovelies! And welcome back! Today is the turn for smut, but since I'm crap at it and FF doesn't allow you to publish actual sex scenes, I wrote this short drabble, trying to abstractly write their first time together. I just hope it didn't end up sounding like a cheap romance novel. I hope it cheers everyone up, for today's the one year anniversary of chapter 686, aka the shittiest ending ever. It seemed fitting to write about Ichigo and Rukia doing the do on this day. Anyway, thank you everyone for your support! I hope you like this drabble!

Until tomorrow!

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 **Reviews:**

 **Bleach power:** I too wish Bleach had ended up like this. And I'm glad your family's alright! Thank you for reviewing!

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Ravenous

 **Prompt:** Smut Daily Themes: Hands, Ignite, Finally

 **Summary:** It's a hunger they cannot explain. It consumes them. It burns them. It fills them.

Hands roaming, searching, finding. He is an explorer, and her body is uncharted land, waiting to be discovered. He marks her. He makes her his in more ways than one. He is like a madman. Like a thirsty man who has just found an oasis. But maybe he has found a mirage instead. She's too good to be true. Too perfect. She moans when he hits a tender spot. Her sounds remind him this is real. It is actually happening. There is just him, her, and the endless night. They've got time.

He cherishes her with fervor. There is a lot of panting, coming out breathless. He tries to be soft, but fails spectacularly. This is too much. He is too restless. Too wild. She is far too delicious for words. He nips on her shoulder blades, while her hands run around his back. Her own arcs when he rubs against her. "Ichigo." She whines, telling him he is doing nicely. He wants more. More sounds coming out from her. More gasps, and nails scratching his back. More of everything. She _is_ everything.

He whispers sweet nothings into her ear. He tells her she's beautiful, even if he comes short. Her shorts come off next, as does his sanity. He could live like this forever. Drunk on love, drunk on her. He had been blind before tonight. There is nothing which can compare to the euphoria of loving her. It is pure, unadulterated ecstasy. The one that has inspired poets and artists for centuries. Yet, even the best sonnet cannot compare to her.

 _So all their praises are but prophecies  
Of this our time, all you prefiguring_

"Rukia." He groans, for she is not one to stay unmoving. She wants to make him feel like he is feeling. She is succeeding. Looking into her bright eyes, he finds the same intoxication. She touches him, hands wandering everywhere, setting his whole body ablaze. It scorches. It is a sweet agony. He could die like this. She does not stop. He does not want her too. He makes a point of continuing with his ministrations. It's a hunger they cannot explain. It consumes them. It burns them. It fills them.

It is fascinating to watch her become undone. It is like a mirror shattering in a million pieces. Her body shakes, and she whimpers. He cannot fathom there is anything better than this. He follows suit, his life spreading into her. He collapses next to her, skin sparkling in the moon light. She shudders, and he gathers her in his strong arms. His lips leave marks against her skin. She tells him words that she's never said before. He makes promises he intends to keep. Then, they start over, as the sky turns lilac and then rosy like her flesh.

* * *

 **A/N:** The line is from Shakespeare's sonnet 106, because of course Ichigo would quote him in times like this.


	14. Faces

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Summary:** Hello! Sorry for not uploading before, but it was my mom's birthday on Saturday, so we celebrated the whole weekend. Anyway, I wanted to thank you for your reviews last chapter. I'm so glad you enjoyed it, even when it was so short. Now, today's prompt is horror. I'm an avid horror fan, and I'm always looking for the next movie that will scare me. It hasn't happened yet, but I'm hopeful. Anyway, I didn't want to write anything cliché for this prompt, like vampires, zombies, the apocalypse, haunted houses or schools. I had a lot of trouble thinking about something original that will disturb you. That's when my friend Manny came to help me, and gave me the idea of this short story. WHat you will read here comes from his imagination, I just wrote it down. Only the beginning and the end plus dialogues were my ideas. The rest is all him. So shout out to Manny for being a great pal and coming up with this idea! You rock! I hope you like this story, and that it will at least disturb you. If you can, please tell me what you think, and if you got scared. Manny and I will appreciate the feedback.

Until tomorrow!

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Faces

 **Prompt:** Horror Daily Themes: Blood, Dark, Terror

 **Summary:** While walking around town, Ichigo and Rukia decide to stroll in an unfamiliar street. Things take a turn for the worst.

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Kuchiki Rukia was having the time of her life. It had been a while since she had felt so happy and relaxed. University was stressful so when Kurosaki Ichigo, her boyfriend, had suggested they go out on a date, she had been ecstatic. If there was one thing Rukia loved was being with Ichigo. They had decided to go to the amusement park, where they stayed all day, riding roller coasters, eating, and playing at the several stands around. Ichigo had won her a bunny plush in one of those games. Lastly, when it was already dark, they had gone on the Ferris wheel and had kissed when they were on the highest point. It had been beyond perfect. Life was beyong perfect. It was just Ichigo and her having fun, loving each other.

Currently, they were walking around Karakura Town, reluctant to go home and call it a night. It had been so long since they had had time to themselves and their relationship, they wanted to stay together as long as possible. They were eating ice cream, their hands entwined, leisurely strolling around when they saw an unfamiliar sight. Karakura was so small, that they knew each street and alley, especially when they had lived there their whole lives. But now, right in front of them, stood a barely-lit street they had never seen before.

"What's this?" Ichigo asked, staring at the street. "I've never seen it before." He added, gazing at it. "Have you?"

"No. I didn't know this street even existed." Rukia said, feeling disturbed about this strange occurrence. She tried to read the name, but the sign was obscured.

"I wonder where it leads…" The young man wondered out loud, inspecting what could be seen of the street.

"Don't tell me you want to walk there." His girlfriend said, crossing her arms, clearly not at all amused by that idea.

"What? Are you scared, Rukia?" He said, jokingly.

The girl scoffed. "Of course not. I just think it's a bad idea, that's all."

"Sure you do." He said, his tone ironic.

"It's true!"

"Anyway, why don't we walk down the street and see where it leads us?" Ichigo asked her again."

"No."

"Why?"

"It could be dangerous." Rukia added, gazing uncertainly at the street.

"It's just a street. What could happen?" Ichigo said.

Rukia bit her lip. She had a bad feeling about that street, as if something was lurking there. On the other hand, she really didn't want to fight with Ichigo when they were having such a good time. Maybe he was right, it was just a street. She had no reason to be so paranoid. After all, nothing bad ever happened in Karakura. It was a small, peaceful town.

"Fine." She conceded, realizing she had been overreacting. "But just a quick look, alright?"

"Yeah, alright." Ichigo nodded and together they started walking down the street.

It looked exactly like any other street in town. It had the same cobblestone bricks, the same old buildings, and the same lampposts lighting the way. The buildings seemed to be stores of some kind, but they were closed already. It was past 9, so it made sense. They walked until they reached a dead end, never once seeing something interesting.

"Well, guess this is it." Ichigo muttered.

"It doesn't lead anywhere." Rukia said. "This was a waste of time."

"It wasn't!" He replied. "At least we saw where it leads."

"Did we actually walk over here just to satisfy your curiosity?" The girl said, irony lacing her voice.

"Yes." Ichigo said, not embarrassed at all. "I had to know."

Rukia snorted. "That's just like you. Anyway, maybe we should go now, it's getting late."

Ichigo nodded, took her hand, and turned around, ready to get back to where they came from. However, the street now looked much different than how it was before. It wasn't as lit as before. It seemed the lights from the lampposts had dimmed notoriously. It was almost pitch dark. The most intriguing and terrifying thing was that they could no longer see the other street where they had been walking nor other people. The realization unnerved them.

"Now, that's weird." Ichigo muttered. "Should we walk back there?"

Rukia looked around, and then gulped. "I guess so. There's nothing else we can do."

Holding each other, they made the way back, but when they reached the beginning of the strange street, they did not arrive to the place where they had been walking. They eyed each other in surprise. Had they managed to get lost in such a narrow street? It seemed highly unlikely. Wordlessly, they decided to venture into the next street, trying to see if they could recognize something, but to no avail. It was dark, and there were no people around. Worst of all, all the streets and buildings were unfamiliar.

"What's going on?" Rukia asked.

"I don't know. Did we take a wrong turn?" Ichigo said, still trying to figure out the way back.

"I don't think so. It was just a straight line. How could we get lost?" Rukia added.

"Whatever. Now, how do we get outta here?"

"Maybe, we should just keep walking, see if we find someone." The girl said, trying to appear calm, although she was actually very scared.

They kept walking, and they found exactly the same things around them. Gray buildings, lampposts which barely illuminated the streets, and cobblestone paths which seemed endless. Eventually, every building started looking exactly the same, gray and worn. The streets grew narrower, and a mist started surrounding the streets. Rukia grabbed Ichigo's arm, feeling very frightened. Ichigo stopped suddenly.

"The hell?!" He exclaimed. "We passed this building already!" He said, pointing to what appeared to be a flower shop.

"Don't tell me we've been walking in circles!" Rukia added.

"Seems like it." Ichigo said, then massaged his forehead. "What the _fuck's_ going on?"

"Should we keep going?" She, then, asked.

"That's pretty much our only option."

They continued walking, nervously navigating through the streets. Rukia felt that something was very wrong. It was just impossible to get lost in Karakura. There were no hidden streets and alleys, of that she was sure. It was almost as if they were no longer in Karakura, but somewhere else entirely. That was a horrifying thought. She yelped and felt chills running down her spine when she noticed something on the walls. White blurbs began coming out of the walls. Their shape was oval, and they were as big as human heads. Ichigo cursed loudly, and, taking Rukia's hand tightly on his own, he started walking faster, almost jogging, leading her through the labyrinth of streets. They walked blindly, trying to escape the blurbs, but they were everywhere. The streets grew darker, as the amount of blurbs increased, to the point there was no light but the one coming from the moon.

In the moonlight, Rukia noticed with apprehension that the blurbs were taking form. They were not just white ovals, but, to her horror, they were _faces_. First, a few features appeared, like the outlines of noses, mouths, and eyes. Then, the faces developed actual eyes, which were wide opened, the pupils dilated, but they had no irises. Rukia screamed, and Ichigo sprinted, taking his scared girlfriend with him. As they ran, they noticed that the faces were acquiring more human features. Soon, the faces started grinning wickedly, their mouths crooked, showing pointed teeth, as sharp as knives, covered in blood.

"Fucking hell!" Ichigo shouted, as they kept running.

"We need to find the exit!" Rukia yelled at him, wanting nothing more for this to be a nightmare.

"There's _no_ exit!" Her boyfriend yelled back.

"We need to keep looking!"

They kept running, gasping, and yelling when the faces moved, as if to stare at them. It was insane. This couldn't be happening. How did they go from having a good time at the amusement park to _this_? Rukia felt like she was losing her mind. She couldn't come up with any rational explanation as to why this was happening. Ichigo wasn't looking any better. Although he tried to be brave for her sake, he was scared shitless. He was frowning, his jaw set, as he kept pulling her around. She knew him better than he knew himself, and could see a dash of guilt in his eyes. Rukia wished she could help him feel better, but she was as scared as he was. It didn't help that the faces kept smiling evilly at them. Rukia couldn't keep her eyes off of them. Each time they passed them by, it looked as if they were coming out of the walls. She didn't want to think what would happen when they did. Suddenly, she tripped, stepping on something. Looking down, she shouted, realizing it was a face.

"Are you okay?" Ichigo asked her, pulling her up.

"Yeah…" She trailed off, focusing more on the face on the floor. It wasn't smiling anymore. Turning around, she realized none of them were. Then, they opened their horrific mouths, and gave out a bone-chilling shriek. It was indescribable. It sounded enraged, as if it contained all of the fury in the world. Ichigo and Rukia covered their ears, but the shout wasn't muffled by their hands. It seemed to resonate everywhere. The faces opened their mouths as they screamed, displaying their thousand teeth, which looked like leeches. All at once, the screaming came to an abrupt stop. The couple turned to look at the faces first, which had vanished, and then at each other, dumbfounded.

"Is it over?" Rukia whispered, fearing that if she spoke too loudly, the faces would appear again.

"Seems so." Ichigo whispered back. Then, when he turned around, he noticed that the streets did not seem narrow anymore, and the mist was gone. Had they hallucinated the whole thing?

"It's almost back to normal." His girlfriend spoke out loud what he had in mind.

Ichigo breathed out in relief. "Let's go. We need to find an exit."

Rukia nodded, and just when she was going to follow him, she felt a presence behind her. Turning around, she realized there was someone behind her. It was one of the faces of before, wide eyed, with no irises, and extremely pale. This face had a body as well. It was misshapen, with a hunchback, long arms and very short legs. It was covered completely in a red substance, which looked too much like blood. It was not grinning. It was grimacing, opening its mouth to show all of its sharp fangs, covered in blood.

"Ichigo." Rukia whimpered, her eyes never straying from the figure. The man turned around and paled when he saw the figure extremely close to his girlfriend. Without thinking, he grabbed Rukia's hands, and started running, never turning to look back. The creature screamed ferociously again, the roar giving them goosebumps. They kept running, hearing the sounds of its heavy footsteps following them. They sounded far, but when they began sounding closer, Ichigo turned around and stared at the monster. It stopped screaming, and remained motionless. Its crooked mouth showed how furious the being was. Its eyes were still the same, dilated and with no irises. Ichigo felt hypnotized by its form. Rukia pulled him back, and they continued running.

When they thought that they had finally lost him, the monster screamed again. It continued pursuing them. By this point, they were already breathless, so they tried to hide on a street. They ducked and hoped the darkness would conceal them.

"Is he gone?" Rukia asked, gasping for air. Her lungs were burning.

Ichigo turned and saw it again, grimacing at them. He didn't need to answer her. He grabbed her hand again, and rushed, trying to get as far away from the creature as possible. It kept screaming, and running after them. It pursued them until it trapped them in an alley. Both turned and looked at its infuriated expression. They backed away, still staring at the monster. Abruptly, Ichigo took Rukia's hand once more, and turned to another street, breaking contact with the face. Rukia did not turn to look away, in fact her eyes kept looking for the monster. Ichigo, however, had his head turned, and remained silent, not even his breathing could be heard. Rukia was scared, but felt comforted by Ichigo's hand holding her own. After minutes of running, Rukia found it weird that he hadn't said anything yet. Then, she heard a voice.

"Rukia!" It called to her… from the other side of the street. She recognized that voice. It was Ichigo's. Turning to her side, she realized that the hand who kept a firm hold on her own was red and deformed, with crooked fingers. She screamed, and kicked the monster, breaking free. She ran until she reached Ichigo and crashed into his arms.

"Let's go!" He shouted, alarmed.

The couple continued running away from the monster, when the streets became distorted. Gray and black started merging with a lot of light, the deserted streets began filling with people, who were unaware of the monster who was still hunting them down. Then, they felt it breathing down their necks. Rukia gasped. This was it. There was no exit. Closing her eyes, and holding Ichigo's hand tightly, she waited for the end. There was silence. Suddenly, she heard familiar noises. Cars passing by, people walking and speaking. The sounds of the city. Opening her eyes, she realized she was back in the street where they had been before this whole situation started. She breathed in relief.

"We're back!" She announced happily. Her eyes took in everything around them, the cars, the people, the stores, the display window... She froze. There was a reflection there that wasn't her own. It was Ichigo, who kept hitting the window with his fists, and seemed to be yelling something. Rukia turned to look at her side, and screamed loudly and painfully.

The Ichigo beside her wasn't Ichigo.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for any mistakes. This one-shot wasn't edited.


	15. Death in the Cabaret, Part I

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Summary:** Hello! First of all, I was surprised by the response last chapter got. I'm gald that it at least intrigued you. As for the monsters, they were no specific creature. My friend made them up. They're sort of monsters from another dimension, kinda like ghouls. I also want to make clear it was an AU. Now, I'm sorry for not updating yesterday, but man, this one-shot grew longer and longer, until I had to just end it, and separate it into two parts. It's loner than all of my previous one-shots, and it has almost no romance, but I hope you like it. After the IR has finished, I will post the second part. The prompt is mystery/noir, and our star is private detective Rukia who is going to help Ichigo, who was framed of murder. Since it's noir, it's written in Rukia's POV. I normally don't like first person POV narration for fanfiction, but it fit this story, so bear with me please. It's supposed to be sort of a parody of the genre but it still falls on the category. Sort of like Who framed Roger Rabbit? It still has a mystery and everything. I hope you ejoy and that you can wait for the end.

Until tomorrow!

* * *

 **Reviews:**

 **Bleach power:** Hey! No, it was an AU. They're in another dimension.

* * *

Death in the Cabaret, Part I

 **Prompt:** Mystery/Noir Daily Themes: Smoke, Lipstick, Leather

 **Summary:** Kuchiki Rukia is an amateur private detective who has just gotten her biggest case as of yet: helping alleged murderer Kurosaki Ichigo prove his innocence.

* * *

It was a calm night, like any other. The moon was high in the sky, when I decided to leave my office. It was just another ordinary day without a new case. The thought was frustrating. I just wanted to go home, drink tea, and take a bath ─my usual routine. However, before I could put on my coat, someone knocked the door.

"Come in." I said, after sitting on my chair again, playing with some random papers that were on my desk, trying to appear busy.

A man entered and closed the door. He was tall, above 5'10, and seemed to be fit by the way his black leather jacket clung to his body. He wasn't the type of man to be patient, for he rushed into the room with heavy steps. It seemed he wasn't reserved either, by the way he came in. His most striking feature was his wild orange hair. I wondered if he had dyed it, and if so, if he was some kind of delinquent.

"Hey! Who are you talking to?" The man exclaimed, looking inside the office like a lunatic.

I snorted. "No one. Now tell me what business do you have here?" I commanded.

The man looked dumbfounded. I could see right away that he was not very bright. I was starting to get impatient.

He started scratching his cheek, a clear sign of nervousness. "Are you Detective Rukia?" He asked at length.

"Yes, I am. What do you need?" I asked him.

The man turned serious. "My name is Kurosaki Ichigo, and I need your help."

Honestly, I would have shouted in glee if I hadn't been observed by this strange man. I hadn't had a case in a long time, and I was beginning to become desperate. He was godsend, but I needed to pretend to be the hardboiled detective I wanted to be.

"Take a seat." I ordered him, and he sat down on the chair in front of me. "Now, tell me all about it."

The man gulped. "I've been framed." He said.

"Framed?" I raised an eyebrow. "Framed of what?"

"Murder." He whispered, and observed me carefully to watch my reaction.

I was, indeed, surprised. Despite his looks, I did not see him as a murderer. He had a bit of innocence in his eyes, that a murderer wouldn't have. I also started wondering who could have framed such a man. He did not seem past twenty five.

"Are you actually being framed, or did you kill someone?" I asked him even if I believed him. I had to know. It was in my best interest not to associate with a murderer.

"Of course I'm being framed! I'd _never_ kill someone!" He shouted, slamming his hands on the table. It was convincing enough for me.

"Alright, I believe you." I said to calm him down. "Now, Mr. Strawberry─"

"It's Ichigo." He deadpanned.

"Right." I shrugged. His name was unimportant. "Tell me the specifics. Of what crime are you being accused off?" I took a notepad to write all the details of the case.

Strawberry─ I mean, _Ichigo_ , shifted on his seat awkwardly. He, then, sighed, and looked me straight in the eye. "I'm accused of murdering Inoue Orihime."

Inoue Orihime had been a very famous dancer at the cabaret Las Noches. In the underground businesses, she was widely spoken about ─not that I frequented such places, but as a detective I always have to be informed. She was described as breathtakingly beautiful, with her hourglass figure, luscious orange hair, and doe-like eyes. Many referred to her as their 'porcelain doll.' I was unaware if the men who went to Las Noches ever did more than watch her dance. She did not have that reputation. She was alluring but untouchable. For many men, she must have been the ideal combination between an angel and a devil, innocent while being scantily dressed. Heaven and hell in one person. She had been murdered last night. The details were not given, just that it had been a grizzly affair. The news of her sudden demise had spread even in serious newspapers. There was no one in Karakura Town who was unfamiliar with her death. Therefore, it deeply surprised me that someone like Kurosaki Ichigo could be held accountable for such a cold-blooded crime.

I blinked, and for a moment I thought he was joking, making me waste my time. However, one look at his face told me he was being serious. I licked my lips, a nervous habit, and spoke again. "Who's framing you?"

"Aizen Sosuke." Ichigo said, surprising me once more. Aizen Sosuke was a shady businessman, who owned, among many other places, the cabaret Las Noches. I felt that Ichigo was pulling my leg by saying the names of so many famous people, while he looked like an average citizen.

"How do you know?" I inquired. "Did you know him before this?"

"Look, all I know is that this morning a group of officials knocked on my door and wanted to arrest me for Inoue's death. I asked why, and they told me that Aizen Sosuke had been suspicious of me the night before. They barged into my house, looking for evidence, and they supposedly found a shirt. Before they could arrest me, I dashed out and ran away. I've been looking for someone to help me. A contact, Urahara Kisuke, gave me your name and address, and told me you could help me." He explained, while I wrote everything down. This definitely was getting interesting. I started to believe him. I knew Urahara personally. That cunning man wouldn't have sent Ichigo to me if he believed he was guilty.

"Alright, I believe you. You're innocent. I'll help you, but I'm going to need more details." I told him.

"It's fine by me. And thank you for your help." He said sincerely, flashing me a small smile.

"Don't mention it." I said, then focused on the task at hand. "First things first, did you know personally Inoue Orihime?" There must have been something that linked Inoue to him, so much that the police were already investigating him.

"Yeah. We were childhood friends." He said vaguely. That was a start, but I was going to need more.

"Just friends? Not sweethearts? What exactly was your relationship with her?" I pressed him.

"There was never anything between the two of us! I met her the day her brother died. He was ran over by a car, and taken to my father's clinic. There was nothing he could do, so her brother died. Inoue was there, and I kept her company while my dad tried to save her brother. After giving her the news that her brother had passed away, we stayed with her, and ever since she came to my house often to eat dinner and stuff. That's the story." Ichigo said, crossing his arms in a gesture of defiance.

"You never fell in love with her?"

"Hell, no! We were just friends!"

"Is there any way that the police can prove that you two were in a relationship?" I asked again, as I kept jotting everything down.

"Well…" He trailed off.

"What?"

"I don't know for sure, but our friends kept telling me she was in love with me." Ichigo said, with a hint of sadness. "I never had feelings for her, nor do I believe entirely that what they said was true, but…"

"The police can use that against you." I finished for him. This case was getting even more complicated.

"Yes."

I nodded. "Now that we have established that, let's get into the events of last night. The newspaper said that Inoue Orihime's corpse was found at Las Noches, and we can deduce that that was the place where she was murdered." I said as I made more notes. "Were you at Las Noches last night?"

"Yes." He said simply.

I mentally cursed. He was in deep trouble. " _Why_ were you there?" I asked, hoping he told me something that could help him.

"I needed to see if she was okay!" He yelled. "She felt that someone had been following her, but rested importance to the matter. I went at about 10 pm to ask her if she was alright, if she had been followed again, and if she wanted me to wait for her, and take her home. Inoue ignored my worries, and told me to go home. Since I didn't want to make her uncomfortable at her work place, I left, then went home."

I wrote everything he had said on my notepad. I thought about the time period Ichigo had stayed at Las Noches. Just one hour. It wasn't enough time to murder someone and then escape. Never mind the fact that, in those hours, the cabaret was full, and there should have been many eyewitnesses, not just Aizen. It was fishy. "Did anyone see you enter and leave?"

"Besides Inoue, her friend and coworker Rangiku-san, and Aizen were the ones who recognized me." He answered.

Great. We had two eyewitnesses, one which was already framing Ichigo, and another who could either cooperate or remain silent. Worst case scenario, this person could be working with Aizen. Our best bet right now was to come up with a timeline, and show the police the impossibility of Ichigo being the culprit. "Do you know what her schedule could have possibly been last night?"

"Yes. She always arrived at 7 to prepare. The cabaret officially opens at 9, but the dancers take some time to appear on stage. Inoue generally performed at around 10:30. That's why I went at 10, to catch her before her performance. Rangiku-san let me in the dressing rooms. After speaking with her, I sat on the backseats and watched her first show. I went to say goodbye, and left at 11. The cabaret is open until 1, sometimes 2 o'clock. After closing time, the dancers and other workers stay for one more hour. Inoue should've gone home at around 3, 3:30."

I made my timeline, realizing the time frame for the murder was between 1 and 3:30. However, it got reduced when taking into account the rest of the employees who remained in the establishment. I needed to find out the time of death. I needed to find this Rangiku person and interrogate her. "Alright, we have a start. The last thing I need to know is why was the shirt taken?"

Ichigo sighed. "The shirt had a lipstick stain, and they say it matches Inoue's lipstick."

"It isn't hers?"

"No! I don't even know how that shirt got stained. I wasn't with any woman last night, and it certainly wasn't Inoue's." Ichigo said.

I sighed. This case was going to be more difficult than I had expected. "Let's go." I said, standing up, and taking my coat.

"Go? Where?" Ichigo asked with a bewildered expression, but followed me anyway.

"Where else? To the scene of the crime! There's no time to lose. We have to investigate, now!" I answered, as I put on my bag the things I was going to need, like my notepad, pens and pencils, magnifying glasses, powders, and other stuff.

"But they're going to recognize me!" My client said, pointing to his very recognizable orange hair. I had an idea.

"Don't worry. I have a plan." I said, and put on my hat. I was not going to fail him.

Las Noches was just like I had expected. It was a building which stood between two other edifices. The only difference between them was that Las Noches was highly illuminated, while the others had no lights. A few posters showed the current It Girls, and the singers who had performances there. Over Inoue Orihime's poster, there was a black ribbon, no doubt signalizing the girl's demise. The architecture was beautiful, it probably looked inconspicuous during daytime. But then, with the lights, the posters, and the people lingering outside, it looked like what it actually was.

I felt a little out of place in the purple dress I was wearing. I was not used to wearing such garments, preferring pants and shirts to them for my daily job. Beside me, Ichigo stood awkwardly, pulling the hairs of his black wig. Before coming here, we had made a stop at Urahara's store. He was an old friend of mine, who had helped me countless times in my cases. The blond man was eccentric and clever, but for some reason he had decided to aid me in my endeavors. Somehow, he always sold whatever I was going to need. Tonight, he had this dress on sale, along high heels of my size, a dark suit and a black wig. I made Ichigo buy all the items, then we dressed there and headed out.

"If you keep touching it, people are going to notice." I admonished Ichigo, pinching his arm.

"Ouch! That hurt!" He complained. "I still don't understand why we're here, though."

"If you want me to solve the case, I'm going to need to see this place." I said, and then we both entered.

A few eyes turned to stare at me. It was a bit peculiar to find a woman in such places who wasn't a singer nor a dancer. However, it wasn't that unusual, especially if said woman was accompanied by a man. Some couples liked that kind of amusement. I pulled Ichigo close to me to act as a couple. He grumbled but didn't pull away. Once inside, I observed the place. It was filled with various men, and few women. Everybody was elegantly dressed. They sat on tables which surrounded the stage. Waitresses went here and there, taking orders and delivering drinks. A few dancers lingered on the tables near the patrons, whispering into their ears. It was a cabaret, alright.

"And now, let's all give a round of applause to our favorite dancer, Ran-chan!" A man with silver hair dressed in a white suit spoke suddenly from the stage.

"That's Rangiku-san." Ichigo whispered in my ear as a woman entered the stage.

Matsumoto Rangiku was a woman on her late twenties. She had wavy strawberry blonde hair, which reached past her shoulders. Her figure was voluptuous, her tight golden dress barely leaving anything to the imagination. The men all clapped the moment she started her sensual dance. As I observed her more intently, I discovered that her blue eyes were slightly red and puffy, as if she had been crying. I made the connection. She probably had been crying over Inoue's death. I hoped that her feelings would be a key factor to make her cooperate with us.

Some minutes later, her performance ended and she returned to the dressing rooms. I turned to Ichigo, and he nodded, showing me the way. I was happy to see that my client and current partner in this case was already understanding my body language. That would make things easier. We followed Rangiku to the dressing rooms, where some dancers lingered about, but didn't ask questions. I figured they probably thought we wanted an autograph. I knocked on the door, and waited a few seconds until the woman in the flesh opened the door. She was wearing a hot pink robe, probably already starting to change.

"Yes? What do you want?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I admire you a lot, and I was wondering if I could ask you some questions. I'd like to dance myself, you see." I said animatedly, gushing at her.

Rangiku bought it and let us in. "So, what do you want to know?" She said, crossing her arms.

Once she had closed the door, I went straight to the point. "I want to know what you were doing last night when Inoue Orihime was murdered."

Rangiku gasped loudly. "What? Why are you here?"

"My name is Kuchiki Rukia, and I'm a detective in charge of finding out the culprit of this crime." I said. "Now, are you going to make this easy or difficult?"

The woman sighed and slumped on a chair. "Fine. I was dancing, and when I wasn't dancing, I was getting ready here." She said, as uninterested as possible. That raised some red flags.

"You need to be more specific. Where were you when Inoue's body was discovered?"

Rangiku touched her forehead. "Last night, after my last performance, I did _not_ return to the dressing rooms, nor did I see Orihime. It was until one of the girls screamed, that I ran all the way here. Then, I saw Orihime, laying on the floor of her own dressing room." The woman let a single tear fall, then rubbed her face furiously.

I nodded, writing everything down. Next, I put a hand on her arm, in a comforting gesture. "Look, I know this is hard to say, especially to a stranger, but I really want to solve this case, so please, tell me all the details you remember. How did the body look?"

"She was… very pale. Her eyes were wide open, as well as her mouth. I could see a few scratches on her arms, as if she had been grabbed but tried to pull away. She had a wound on her stomach. There was a puddle of blood beneath her." Rangiku said and cried. Behind me, Ichigo turned around, visibly affected. "It looked like she had bled to death, and she didn't deserve that! She was such a sweet girl, detective! She didn't belong here!"

I nodded sympathetically and patted her arm. "I know." I turned serious again. "Please describe the state of the room."

"It looked like normal. However, it seemed there was a fight of some sort, for various things, like her makeup and earrings were on the floor, as if they had fallen down." I took note of that.

"Anything else I should know?"

"Aizen-san, our boss, arrived at the scene and asked everyone to leave. I thought he was going to call the police, but they took about an hour to get here. They removed the body, and the room has been closed ever since." Rangiku explained.

"At what time was the body first discovered?"

"I believe that it was 3 am."

"And the police arrived until 4?"

"Yes."

"And when was the last time that you saw Inoue Orihime?"

"1, maybe 1:30…" She trailed off.

After her words, I came to a few conclusions myself. However, there was something which was bothering me.

"There were no dancers near her dressing room? No one heard anything?" I prompted, looking at her in the eyes.

"I don't know. Some dancers do not get straight to their dressing rooms, they decide to spend time with the audience, if you know what I mean." I did know. Prostitution was always a side business in cabarets. "Others get something to eat or watch the other performances."

"So there are no witnesses?"

"None."

"One last question, Rangiku-san, where were you from 1 to 3 am?" I asked her. I had found it strange how the woman had avoided telling her whereabouts.

Rangiku smiled ironically. "Oh, detective, you won't be able to put the blame on me." She said, reading my thoughts. "If you must know, I was very busy fucking the master of ceremonies, Ichimaru Gin, at his office. The last time I saw Orihime, I winked at her, as I left for his office. You can go ask him, if you don't believe me."

"That won't be necessary." I coughed. "Thank you for your cooperation. I will take my leave now."

"Please, find the one responsible for this, detective. The police have put the blame on an innocent man, but the real culprit is out there. Orihime deserves to rest in peace." She said, taking my hand and slipping something there. "Oh, and Ichigo?" She called my client, who flinched. "I don't believe you did it, and the police will soon realize it too."

Ichigo nodded, and the two of us left the dressing room. I turned to look at a closed door which said Inoue Orihime. I couldn't stop to inspect it, but it didn't seem like the entry had been forced. Whoever the killer was, he either had a key, or was let in by the victim herself. We exited the cabaret, and walked for a few minutes in silence, until I stopped and inspected the object Rangiku had slipped into my hand. As I had figured, it was a lipstick. It could belong to no one else but Inoue. I smiled.

"Well, our visit was completely successful." I said, and showed Ichigo the lipstick.

"So what now?" He asked me.

"We need to get access to your shirt. But first, we must rest." I said.

"And where exactly should I go? The police's still looking for me, Rukia." He complained, addressing me by my name for the first time.

"Oh, there's one place they won't think to look."

* * *

"When you said you had a place in mind, I didn't think it was your own apartment!" Ichigo exclaimed once we were inside.

I rolled my eyes. "As far as the police is concerned, you don't know me, so they won't think to look in here. Besides, this way we won't get separated. We need to stick together." I informed him, hanging my coat, and taking my heels off. I looked at him and noticed he was standing near the door. I chuckled. "Come in, and make yourself comfortable. Do you want tea, or something stronger like scotch?"

Ichigo took his shoes off as well, and sat on the couch. "Scotch." He just muttered.

I went into the kitchen and brought back two glasses of scotch. I gave one to him. "After this, we need to sleep. We're going to get up early tomorrow and continue the investigation. The longer we have no prove, the more likely it is you're going to get convicted."

The man nodded, and sipped his booze. "Is it really alright?"

"What?"

"Me staying here. You're a woman living by yourself, and I'm a man…" Ichigo said, his cheeks turning red. God, he was so innocent.

"We can do it if you want to." I proposed, scooting over until our knees were almost touching.

He spit the scotch, coughed, and yelped, looking alarmed. "What?!" He exclaimed.

I just laughed. "Relax, I was joking." He crossed his arms, annoyed. "It is fine. I do not care. You can sleep on the couch." I added.

Then, his eyes stared deeply into the glass. He downed the rest of the scotch in one sip. "You know, I only found out about her death when the police came to my house." He said, his voice soft.

I pitied him. Losing a friend, to a murderer no less, was tragic. I could only imagine how he was feeling in that moment, having lost a friend, and having to hide from the police. "Look, nothing you do now can change the past. It happened, and sadly your friend is gone. But what you can do is clear your name and find the real murderer. I'm going to help you. You're not alone." I said, trying to comfort him.

He smiled at me, still a little sadly. "Thank you."

"Don't worry. As a detective, it is my duty to find the truth." I answered.

"I think we should go to sleep now." He said.

"Alright." I took both glasses, and left them on the sink. Then, I gave Ichigo a blanket to cover himself. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Rukia."

I went to my room, took off the dress, and prepared my clothes for the following day. I started planning what our next move should be. I needed to get my hands on that shirt, but furthermore, I needed to see Inoue's body. The time and cause of death were important, as well as the weapon used. I also needed to prove the lipstick on Ichigo's shirt was not the one Inoue was wearing. My mind rapidly started thinking about Aizen. I hadn't told Ichigo yet but it was known Aizen disposed of anyone who wasn't useful to him or betrayed him in some way. However, the police could never find evidence that linked him to the individual murders, and was left alone time and time again. The fact Inoue worked in Aizen's cabaret, and that he was the third person to find the corpse, but waited too long to call the police was definitely suspicious. Ichigo appeared to be Aizen's scapegoat. I needed to clear his name soon.

The next morning, I woke up Ichigo at 7 am, having already outlined a plan. I gave him a couple of my brother's clothes, so he could change, and told him to keep the wig on.

"Where are we going today?" He said, as we both ate a quick breakfast.

"To the morgue. I need to see the body." I explained.

"And how exactly are you going to get access?" He said sarcastically.

"Oh, I have many friends in this city, and one of them owes me a favor." I said smiling.

We left at around 8, and we took a cab which left us a block away from the morgue.

"Why are we getting out here?" Ichigo asked me, as we walked towards our destination.

"It'd be too obvious if the cab left us right there. We need to be unassuming so as to not raise suspicions. Now, I'm going to go in, while you will wait for me at my friend's office. If anyone asks, you're my assistant." I informed him.

Ichigo looked as if he was going to say something else, but decided to keep quiet. We walked in silence, until we reached the morgue. It was a plain looking building, with nothing special about it. The only thing eerie about the place was knowing that it was where they kept corpses to be examined. Having seen a fair amount of dead bodies in my life, I was already desensitized to the whole experience. That couldn't be said of my companion. This is why it was imperative for Ichigo to not be in the room. I feared he would collapse.

We walked into the morgue casually. I could see that Ichigo expected for us to be stared at, but we were ignored. I walked to the front desk and gave a name. We were lead through the halls of the morgue were the offices were at, and the secretary left us in front of a door with the inscription of Ishida Uryuu. I knocked, and was let in.

"Well, well, if it isn't Kuchiki-san." Ishida said. He looked the same as always. Black hair, glasses, and a smug smile.

"Ishida." I acknowledged him. "It's been a long time."

"It has." He nodded. "Who's this?" He asked, noticing Ichigo.

"He's my new assistant. He's here to learn the trade." I shrugged.

"What is he going to learn from an amateur?" He said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

I remained calm. "I'd tell you about all the cases I've solved, but you already know that." I said, making him frown. "But that's not what I'm here for."

"Then why are you here?" Ishida inquired.

"I'm here to cash a favor from _last time_." I said, remembering the time I had helped Ishida with a case.

"I had figured as much." He nodded. "What do you want?"

"I want access to a body that was brought here yesterday."

"Which body?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Inoue Orihime's."

"I should've known." He chuckled. "Why do you want to see it?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but a client wants me to solve the case. The police has been corrupted and cannot be trusted to find the culprit."

"Of course." He nodded, smiling at something. "Follow me, and let's make it quick."

Ishida started walking out, while I silently told Ichigo to remain in the room. He did not fight me about it. Once outside, Ishida directed me to the place where they kept the bodies. The room was cold. Ishida rubbed his hands and arms together to get warm. As for me, I did not mind the cold. I enjoyed it, actually.

"So why did you make your assistant stay?" Ishida asked, as he looked for the body.

"I figured it'd be too much for him. He's new, after all." I said. "Did you find it?"

"Here it is." Ishida opened a cabinet, displaying what used to be Inoue Orihime.

Even in death, she remained beautiful. I went closer to the body and inspected her face. As I had hoped, bits of makeup still remained on it. I lifted the blanket covering her, and inspected her body. As Rangiku-san had mentioned, there was a deep wound in her abdominal area. If that wasn't the cause of death, it certainly had helped in her demise.

"What is the cause of death?" I asked Ishida, as I continued inspecting the body, noticing the scratches on her arms.

"It appears it was heavy bleeding. That _wound_ killed her. She was stabbed by some sort of sharp object. Perhaps a dagger." Ishida said, pointed at her stomach.

I nodded. "Any other information?"

"There are signs of struggle, as you can see by the scratches in her arms. She was also hit on the face." I had already noticed a bruised cheek.

"Was she raped?"

Ishida shook his head. "There were no traces of semen on her body. This is definitely not a rape gone wrong."

I nodded once more, and took the lipstick out of my pockets. Next, I took the cap, showing the bright pink color of the lipstick. I put it side by side with Inoue's lips, where hints of lipstick still remained. Next to each other, they looked almost the same, but it wasn't enough. I put on gloves, and used my finger to take off a bit of the lipstick from her lips.

"What are you doing?!" Ishida exclaimed, horrified.

"Finding evidence, of course."

I put the sample from Inoue's lips on a piece of paper I had taken out for this purpose, and next to it I put a swatch from the lipstick itself. They were identical. I smiled in satisfaction. Now, all I needed was to compare Ichigo's shirt with this lipstick. I put the piece of paper inside a plastic bag, and then I hid it inside my own bag.

"Thank you, Ishida." I said.

The man nodded. "I hope you find the culprit."

"I hope so too."

We walked back to Ishida's office to pick up Ichigo. Then, my client and I left the place in silence. I was still smiling from the high of making such a discovery.

"Well?" Ichigo asked me.

"It was a perfect match." I said.

"Now what?"

"Now we get our hands on that shirt."

"And how exactly are you going to do that?" Ichigo asked, skeptical.

"I told you I have many friends, and one of them works at the police department."

* * *

The walk to the police station was silent for the most part. Ichigo was deep in thought, and I was analyzing what I had gathered so far. In my mind, it was clear that Aizen was trying to make it seem as a passionate crime. Framing Ichigo, making him pass as Inoue's lover ─hence the shirt with a lipstick stain─ who killed her in a spurt of vengeance of some sort. What I still couldn't understand was Aizen's motif. What could Inoue have known that prompted Aizen to kill one of his most beloved dancers?

"How exactly did Inoue end up in that place?" I asked Ichigo.

"After her brother died, Inoue stayed with an aunt of hers, but a few years ago, her aunt died too. When that happened, Inoue tried to find a job which gave her a steady income, enough to pay for her own apartment. As she lacked any experience, and didn't study after high school, she had little to no jobs available for her, and definitely not ones that paid a lot. Eventually, a friend of hers told her about the cabaret, and that they were looking for dancers. She auditioned and was hired on the spot, because of her looks. Obviously it was a high paying job, and she accepted it. I told her she shouldn't work there, but she didn't listen." Ichigo explained.

"Did she have a good relationship with her boss?"

"As far as I know, she did."

I frowned. "Did she have any enemies?"

"Not that I know of, she never complained." Ichigo said.

There was something that I was missing. "She didn't offer other services, did she?"

Ichigo turned to me, looking pissed off. "She was _not_ like that!" He yelled at me.

"I didn't know her, you know? I need all the information I can get if I'm to solve this case." I said. "It just doesn't make sense why she was killed if no one was out to get her. She must have known something incriminating. The only clue we have is that she felt she was being followed. But if that was true, then how come it was Aizen who incriminated you, and no one else? There's a missing piece of the puzzle, and I won't rest until we find it!" I proclaimed.

Ichigo pondered this for a minute. "A few weeks ago, she _did_ mention she didn't feel as comfortable working there. But she wouldn't tell me why."

Finally. There was a big clue, but I still had no information. I sighed. This case seemed easy yet difficult at the same time. I stopped thinking about this when we reached the police station. We went in and, as in the morgue, we were promptly ignored. The police officers were going in and out. Some people sat on the entrance, waiting to be interrogated or waiting to make some sort of declaration. I ignored them, and asked the secretary to take us to Detective Abarai's office. She did not ask why, probably recognizing me from the other times I'd been there. I knocked and a man with long red hair opened.

"Rukia?! What are you doing here?" Abarai Renji, a detective and my friend, exclaimed when he saw me.

"Wow. No, 'Rukia, long time no see, how have you been?'" I said, ironically.

Renji rolled his eyes. "Your visit just surprised me, that's all. Come in." He said. "So what brings you and your companion here?" He gestured to Ichigo.

"A case."

Renji smirked. "As usual. So what can I do for you?"

"Glad you ask. There's a new case that seems to be progressing because of a piece of evidence." I said, dissimulating I was inspecting my nails.

"Go on."

"And I need to see that evidence to confirm my own suspicions."

Renji frowned. "What case and what evidence?"

"The shirt from the Inoue case."

My answer caused him to flip. "Oh _hell_ no, Rukia! Do you know how much trouble I would get into if I let you tamper with the evidence of that case?!"

I rolled my eyes. "I won't tamper with it. I just want to prove something, that's all."

"That's all?! That's everything! Do you know who the chief detective is? It's Byakuya!"

"You're overreacting. I just need to see the shirt, and then I'll leave." I stated. When Renji didn't seem convince, I made by best puppy eyes. "Please?"

"Argh! Fine! But you owe me big time!"

We followed Renji to the storage, where the police kept all major records as well as evidence of several cases. He looked for a brown box which was marked with the name of the case. After a few minutes, he finally found it, and opened it, revealing a blue shirt wrapped in a plastic bag. I smirked when I saw it.

"Well, the police is following a lead blindly that will take them nowhere." I said.

Ichigo turned to look at me. "What do you mean?"

"They're going with the theory that the man who wore that shirt had an affair with Inoue Orihime, and that they were together that night, probably kissing passionately, and that the shirt is the proof. However, that is not the lipstick she was wearing that night." I said, and pulled out Inoue's actual lipstick. The difference was striking. Inoue's lipstick was pink, while the lipstick stain on Ichigo's shirt was red. Aizen was sloppy.

Renji whistled. "Chief Byakuya won't like it."

"Yeah, well, it's his own fault for not examining all the evidence carefully before starting to arrest people." I said. My mind started putting the pieces of the puzzle together. However, before I could share my thoughts with Ichigo, the door suddenly opened, revealing Kuchiki Byakuya, the chief investigator of this case, as well as my older brother.

"Chief!" Renji exclaimed, frightened.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, you're under arrest for the murder of Inoue Orihime." He said, and started walking towards us. I jumped in front of Ichigo.

"You have no evidence!" I shouted.

"Step aside, Rukia. I need to arrest this man." My brother said monotonously.

"No, I won't, nii-sama!" I retorted.

Ichigo gaped at me. "You know him?!"

"Yes, he's my brother." I said simply. We did not have a good relationship. Nii-sama never wanted me to follow in his footsteps and become a detective, so I escaped from home and made a life for myself as a private detective. Our paths had seldom crossed until now. He was not happy that I was meddling in his job.

"Rukia, this man is a murderer. You're holding the evidence in your hands."

I rolled my eyes. "Then how come the lipstick stain does not match the lipstick Inoue Orihime was wearing before she died?" I asked. "Have you even interrogated the eyewitnesses? Are you really going to solve the case following a lead _Aizen Sosuke_ gave you?"

"You're stepping onto something you do not understand." My brother said, gritting his teeth.

"All I know is that if you arrest this man, I will go to Ukitake and tell him that you have no grounds to arrest Ichigo. See if Chief Yamamoto likes it when he finds out you're helping Aizen Sosuke get away with a new crime." I threatened him.

For a moment, my brother looked almost impressed. "Very well, I'll let him go. But you have to hurry if you want to proof this man's innocence. Aizen Sosuke has been very demanding. It is almost _suspicious_." Saying that, he left the room.

I breathed in relief.

"For a second there, I really thought he was going to arrest you." Renji told Ichigo, who just scratched the back of his neck.

"Me too." He said, then looked at me. "Thank you, for helping me."

"It was no problem. It's my job after all." I said.

"Now what?"

"We go back to the cabaret. Aizen has been very sloppy this time around."

I decided I was going to catch him. I needed to free Ichigo of all charges. Something in my heart told me that, beyond money or doing the good thing, I had to save this man. We were linked now, and I resolved to do anything in my power to solve this case, even at the cost of my own life.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for any mistakes. This one-shot wasn't edited.

In the beginning, Rukia is actually saying the narration out loud, that's why Ichigo asks her if she's talking to someone.

As for the classic femme fatale of this type of stories, it's Rukia haha. She's both the protagonist as well as the femme fatale. She's going to be the death of Ichigo with her jokes.

Now, who do you think killed Orihime? Aizen or someone else? Also tell me why. If you answered correctly or came close, you will receive a shout out when I post the conclusion.


	16. Not Over Yet

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Summary:** Hello! First of all, I want to thank you all for your continued support! I love you all! As for this one-shot, we're finally in the Canon/Post-canon week. At first, I was going to write an adultery fic with this prompt because I was feeling petty. However, I know a lot of people hate those fanfics because they're OOC, and they make Ichigo and Rukia look bad. I agree with that myself, so I changed my mind. Therefore, I went with another route. What about if instead of cheating on their spouses, Ichigo and Rukia never married Renji and Orihime to begin with. Then I was hit with the idea for this fic. Ichigo will tel Rukia his feelings before her wedding takes place, effectively ruining the canon couples. That's super bad timing, if you ask me. This way this one-shot won't be canon-compliant, and that makes me happy. Now, I took some details I read on the web about the novel "We Do Knot Always Love You", however I haven't read that novel, nor I plan to, so forgive if some details are not true. Also, I listened to the songs "Don't Marry Him" by Jesse Ruben, "Wedding Dress" covered by J. Reyez and Tommy C., and "I Can't Make You Love Me" the version by Bon Iver. If you want, you can listen to them as you read in that order.

I hope you like this one-shot as much as I loved writing it!

Until tomorrow!

* * *

 **Reviews:**

 **Bleach power:** That's a good guess. I'll let you know when I publish the second part.

* * *

Not Over Yet

 **Prompt:** Bad Timing

 **Summary:** Just before Rukia's wedding, Ichigo has something he needs to tell her.

* * *

"Dad, I need a suit." Ichigo had told his father one day.

Isshin frowned. His soon looked like he was going to a funeral. Who knew, maybe that was why he needed a suit in the first place. "Sure. May I ask what do you need it for?"

Ichigo sighed, a hand running through his hair. "For Rukia's wedding."

The older man could not disguised his surprise. Of all the things he had expected, none of them were related to Rukia's impeding marriage. As far as Isshin knew, his so-called third daughter was not romantically involved with anyone, and even if she were, it seemed a little too sudden to get married. Only two years ago the war against the Quincies had taken place. She had not been with anyone then. For a Shinigami, two years was such a small amount of time. However, he was not one to judge. His concerns weren't actually about the duration of Rukia's relationship.

"Oh. To whom?" Isshin said at last.

"To Renji." Ichigo said shrugging.

His father remembered the red-haired man from a couple of times he had visited his son. Abarai Renji had even been to his house. He had seen the three of them together, Rukia, Ichigo, and Renji, and not once had Isshin perceived anything going on between Rukia and her friend.

"Hmm… I thought her affections lay somewhere else…" He blurted out before he could stop himself. He noticed that Ichigo frowned in pain.

"Yeah, well, no, it seems that's not the case." He answered bitterly.

"When is she getting married?" Isshin asked again.

"In a month."

"Wow, that's soon!" He exclaimed. It seemed too hasty to him. "When did she tell you?"

Ichigo's frown deepened even more. "She didn't. Inoue told me yesterday."

Isshin frowned too. "Why didn't she tell you?" That wasn't normal. Rukia and his son were close. If anything, she should have told him and invited him personally.

"Hell if I know." Then Ichigo chuckled mirthlessly. "Yet, now I need a suit, and I thought you'd be able to help me."

"Of course, son. Anything you want." Isshin said, watching his son with pity. "Do you want to buy a new one, or rent one?"

"I was hoping you'd have one I could wear. I don't feel like spending money on that."

Isshin nodded in understanding. Ichigo had been saving money for the past three years, working hard to get it. It was obvious he wouldn't want to spend his hard-earned money on something that caused him such heartbreak.

"I have a couple you can wear."

"Thanks, dad."

They went to Isshin's room, where he took three suits. One was navy blue, another one was grey, and the last one was black. He made Ichigo wear the three of them, to see which fit him the best. As expected, it was the black one which suited him best.

"Guess this is it." Ichigo mentioned as he looked at himself in the mirror.

His son looked like he was going to his own funeral rather than to his friend's wedding. "It looks good on you, son. You're almost as handsome as me!" Isshin said merrily, trying to joke around like always in hopes it would cheer his son up.

"Yeah, I guess." Ichigo snorted, and then sighed. "Well, I'm going to keep this in my closet."

"It's alright by me."

"Then, I'll leave now."

Isshin watched as his son left the room, shoulders slumped in defeat. It was not a happy sight, and it wasn't one Isshin wanted to keep seeing. However, over the course of the next two weeks, he saw how his son's mood rapidly turned sour. He slowly stopped laughing or joking with his sisters. He was always frowning, with a far-away look in his eyes. Speaking about his eyes, they had lost their usual gleam. Nowadays, Ichigo was glum, in a way Isshin had never seen since the day Ichigo thought he had lost his Shinigami powers forever. He knew the reason why too.

As the date of Rukia's wedding approached, Isshin felt like he needed to talk to his son. He couldn't stand any longer to watch him so miserable. Ichigo needed a pep talk, and his father was going to give it to him.

"What did you want to talk about?" Ichigo asked him once they were in his room.

Isshin sat next to his son on the bed. "Look, you haven't been yourself these past weeks and I'm honestly worried."

Ichigo seemed surprised for a moment, and then shook his head. "There's nothing wrong with me. I've been the same as always."

Never one to beat around the bush, the older man went straight to the point. "Really? Then why have you been so distant and silent ever since you heard the news of Rukia-chan's marriage?"

Ichigo's eyes widened for a moment, and then went back to normal. "This has nothing to do with Rukia."

"You're going to tell me you're not hurt she didn't tell you in person she was getting married?" Isshin questioned him.

"It's not that." Ichigo said defensively.

"Oh? Then maybe is the fact that the woman you love is getting married, and you never told her what she means to you?"

That did it for Ichigo. He stood up, limps shaking in rage. "What do you know about that?! You have _no_ idea what's going on!"

"So you're going to tell me you don't love Rukia?" Isshin pressed him. If he was going to help Ichigo, they needed to get to the root of the problem.

Ichigo just growled. "Stay out of my business, dad! It has nothing to do with you!"

"Got nothing to do with me?" Ishin exclaimed, appalled. "Do you want me to sit and watch how my son hurts inside without trying to help him?! I won't do that, Ichigo! I know I wasn't the best father when you were growing up, and that I kept a lot from you, but I won't stay quiet this time! You need to tell me what's going on!"

Ichigo was seething by this point. "What? Do you want me to tell you that I was hurt that Rukia didn't come in person to tell me the news? Fine! _Of course_ I was hurt and angry! I thought we were best friends! That we were closer than that! All I got was an invitation from Inoue! I had to hear her gush about the wedding, while I couldn't even think straight! All I could think about was the fact I didn't even know Renji and her were a thing! That they were getting married too fast! Since when were they together? Why did they keep it from me?!"

The young man breathed heavily. "It's almost as if I don't know her anymore…" Then, he sat down, defeated. "Do you know what hurts most? That I thought I had a chance. I truly thought it wasn't just a coincidence that we had met. That everything we went through together meant something."

Isshin patted him on the shoulder. "I will never know how you feel. I've never been to a similar situation. But I can tell you that you haven't lost yet."

Ichigo chuckled sarcastically. "I haven't? Then why is she getting married to someone else?"

"She isn't married yet. You still have a chance." Isshin reasoned.

His son shook his head. "And do what? Crash the wedding? She'd never forgive me."

"Look, you've got two choices, Ichigo. You either let her go without a fight and spend the rest of your life wondering what could've been, or you go talk to Rukia-chan and tell her your feelings."

Ichigo hid his face in his hands. "You make it sound so easy." He muttered.

"It is. How will Rukia-chan ever know about your feelings if you never tell her?" Isshin replied.

"I don't want her to hate me."

"She won't." His father said sympathetically.

He sighed. "I guess I'll tell her before the wedding… That way we won't make a scene at her own wedding. She and Byakuya would never forgive me if I did that."

Isshin chuckled. "That's the attitude."

* * *

Telling his father he was going to talk to Rukia, and actually going to the Soul Society for the talk were two very different things. Ichigo was a nervous wreck. In his mind, he ran every scenario where things went wrong. In all of them Rukia stopped talking to him altogether. He definitely didn't want that. Even if Rukia got married to someone else, he still wanted to be her friend, even if that would hurt him. Ichigo almost backed out and didn't go, yet there was one thing making him move forward: a little voice in his mind telling him not to desist. He still had a chance, no matter how small.

With these thoughts in mind, he asked Urahara to open the Senkaimon. He looked like a man who was walking straight to his death. In a certain way, it was. The result of this talk would either make him the happiest man alive or utterly destroy him. Urahara watched him with pity, probably guessing the reason why he was going unannounced. He didn't care. He'd let people talk. The only person whose opinion he cared about was Rukia.

Ichigo arrived at the Soul Society, and promptly ignored most people who had tried to start a conversation with him. Kenpachi was the most difficult to ignore, but one look at Ichigo's face told the captain that his friend was going to fight a battle of his owns, and so he let him be. Hisagi was also going to approach him when Rangiku stopped him. She seemed to understand the reason why he was there, and gave him a thumbs up. He chuckled at that. At least someone there was on his side. Soon, he arrived to the thirteenth division barracks. He felt the steady flow of Rukia's reiatsu, and let it engulf him. Ichigo closed his eyes, remembering all of the moments they had shared together. All the battles, laughter, pain. He let her image give him strength as he had done many times before. Readying himself, he knocked on the door.

Rukia opened the door almost immediately. "Ichigo! What a surprise! Come in!" She cheerfully invited him to her office, being completely ignorant of the inner turmoil he was feeling.

Ichigo took his time observing her. Rukia didn't look a day older than the last time he had seen her. He marveled at this fact. No matter what, Rukia was still Rukia, and that gave him a sense of peace and clarity he needed so badly. She continued chatting, asking him about his family and friends back in the human world. Ichigo answered vaguely. He observed closer. He realized she was just as nervous as he was feeling by the way she kept talking. Rukia had never been an overly chatting person. His presence was having that effect on him.

"So, what are you here for, Ichigo?" She asked him once they had sat down.

Ichigo inhaled deeply. This was it. "Actually, there's something I need to talk to you about."

"Oh?" Rukia said, clearly surprised. "And what is that?"

"Don't marry him." Ichigo blurted out before he could stop himself. He cursed inwardly.

Rukia looked completely aghast. "What?" She exclaimed.

"I… I mean…" Ichigo tried to recover, but couldn't find the right words. "Fuck… Don't do this, Rukia. You don't love him."

Rukia gritted her teeth. "How dare you say that?! How do you even know?!"

"I just know it's too soon for you to be getting married!"

"That's none of your business, Ichigo!"

"You could be making a mistake!"

"Don't patronize me! I'm much older than you! I sure would know if I was making a mistake!"

The conversation was now an argument, one Ichigo had tried to avoid, but hadn't been successful. He was much too brash and he was too nervous still to say what he actually wanted to say.

"Look, just hear me out." He said.

Rukia crossed her arms, clearly on the defensive. "Go on, then."

"I was just surprised to hear you're marrying Renji. You never even told me you two were going out, so you can't blame me if I'm skeptical of your feelings for him."

Rukia begrudgingly admitted that was true.

"Furthermore, I don't he's right for you. Not because he's a bad person or anything. He's going to treat you right, he better. But, he's just not the one for you…" He trailed off, watching her expressions.

She rolled her eyes. "So, pray tell me, who's the one for me?"

"Me." Ichigo finally admitted, opening the can of worms.

Rukia seemed baffled. Her eyes widened, and she opened her mouth. Ichigo was surprised and a little proud when he noticed her cheeks began to turn red. Then, she shook her head, a sad expression on her face. "Ichigo…" She whispered.

"Our destinies have been tied together from the moment we met. We've been through so much together for it to be over. Our story hasn't ended yet." The man expressed himself, wearing his heart on his sleeve.

"Oh, Ichigo, _don't_." Rukia said sadly.

"No, let me, please. This is my only chance." Ichigo pleaded and his companion nodded. "You're my best friend. You're the one person I can trust fully. You mean more to me than I can out into words. All this, from the time we met, to now, you're always on my mind. You're the one who keeps me standing. The one who makes me be a better person. Without you, I cannot keep up with the speed of the world." He finally confessed, saying all he was feeling.

"You're still young, Ichigo." Rukia muttered, but never met his eyes. "There's gonna be someone else. Someone who belongs to your world. It doesn't matter how happy I'm in your world, I don't belong there. _This_ ," she said, gesturing to her office, "is my world. I'm a soul, Ichigo, and this is where I have to live. You're a human, you still have a life ahead of you. I can't come in between that." Not once did she meet his eyes, which gave Ichigo hope.

"Rukia, look at me." He said seriously. She did and seemed almost frightened by what she found in his eyes. "You're special, and there's _never_ going to be someone else, someone like you, do you understand?" She shook her head, almost crying. "Rukia, please. I'm not asking you to run away with me. I'm not asking you to marry me or anything of the sort. I just want to know if there's even a slim chance you feel what I feel. If you don't, I'll leave you alone, but if you do, then why are you marrying him?"

Rukia bit her lips. "What you ask of me is too much."

Ichigo felt a pang in his chest. He had learned a devastating truth. He shook his head. "You're never leaving him, are you? Does he mean that much to you?" He whispered.

"Ichigo." Rukia said, trying to say something else, but was interrupted.

"It doesn't matter. I said what I needed to say, and I got my answer." He stood up, turning his back on her. "I wish you all the happiness in the world, Rukia." Ichigo whispered, before leaving Rukia shaking, her hands touching her rapidly beating chest.

He never turned back. After that, he went home and locked himself up in his room. There, he let it all out. Ichigo yelled and sobbed. He completely broke. He thought about Rukia, and each precious memory of her he kept inside his heart. Ichigo thought about her smile, her jokes, her awful drawings, her touch, her words, everything she had ever done for him. God, he loved Rukia so much, and it was painful. It hurt him to know that in a week she'd marry someone else. Renji wasn't a bad person, Ichigo knew he'd be there for Rukia always, but he wasn't him, and that hurt. Ichigo would never again be the one closest to Rukia. She'd never run to him whenever she got in trouble. That was Renji's job now. Ichigo was doomed to watch Rukia marry someone else.

Once he was tired of crying, his father entered his room with a dish filled with food. Isshin didn't say anything, understanding what had happened, and just sat next to him wordlessly. They spent a few minutes in silence, each deep in thought, until Ichigo spoke again.

"I'm still going, you know?"

Isshin didn't look surprised. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Not at all. But I want to see her happy one last time, even if that kills me." He smiled sorrowfully.

* * *

Rukia looked at herself on the mirror. Her kimono was made out of the purest and most expensive silk Byakuya could find. It was beautiful and felt soft to the touch. It was perfect, like the arrangements and banquet for the wedding. Her older brother had spared no expanses when it came to the wedding. He had paid for everything, insisting he wanted to do that for her. The veil on her head was beautiful too. Her friend, Inoue, had made it just for her out of love and friendship. Rukia examined her reflection. She supposed she looked amazing with the kimono and veil. She guessed this is how every bride should look. However, she did not feel gorgeous or excited, and that was something a bride shouldn't be feeling.

Rukia felt a gaping hole inside her chest. It was as if a piece of her had been ripped from her body. She briefly wondered if she could become a Hollow from the feeling, before dismissing her thoughts. She was just being silly, out of nervousness perhaps. She should be thinking happy thoughts. Today was her wedding day. She should be weeping of joy. She was marrying Renji, her childhood friend, and the love of her life, she supposed, although that felt not entirely true. Rukia remembered Ichigo's visit from a week ago and frowned, the emptiness returning. Shaking her head, she tried to get rid of such thoughts. It wouldn't do well to think about that right before her wedding.

"Rukia." Byakuya said, as he entered the room. He took a moment to observe her, taking in her appearance. "You look beautiful." He told her. And indeed she did. He had never seen such a stunning bride, his own late wife not included. In fact, Rukia looked a lot like Hisana in that moment, except for the sad look on her eyes.

"Thank you, nii-sama." Rukia said, honestly.

"Are you ready?" He asked her next.

Rukia faltered and she didn't understand why. She was getting married. Why was she so scared? She should get going. "I…"

"Rukia." Byakuya called her once again, this time more seriously. "Sit down." He patted the floor.

Rukia did as she was told, and sat in front of her brother, being mindful of not ruining her kimono.

"Let me tell you something about marriage." Byakuya said. "It is the most gratifying and difficult thing there exists. The beginning is always exciting, but as time passes by, there are struggles spouses most overcome. Be serious about the vows you're going to take. Even if things get hard, you must remain together. That is what marriage is all about. The sacrifices are great, I will not lie to you, but it is worth it if you marry the _right person_." He spoke gravely. Rukia felt as if there was a hidden meaning behind his words.

"Thank you, nii-sama. I deeply appreciate it. I'll make sure to follow your advice." Rukia said, and tried to stand, thinking the conversation was over, but Byakuya took her hand and pushed her back to the ground softly.

"Speaking of which, I was taken aback when I heard the news of your marriage to Abarai." Byakuya said.

"Nii-sama…"

"Although, Abarai is a good man and I am sure that he will treat you right, I never thought you would ever be more than friends." He mused. "I always thought you would marry someone _else_." He added cryptically, making Rukia frown.

"Nii-sama, please don't go there." Rukia pleaded, but her brother didn't listen.

"I did not say anything about it because I thought you were happy. But as the date grew sooner, I noticed a change in you. You did not seem as excited anymore. Then, a week ago you stopped smiling when speaking about the wedding altogether."

Rukia bit her lip, a nervous habit of hers, because she knew what Byakuya was going on about.

"Did Kurosaki Ichigo tell you something that affected you so?" Byakua finally asked her.

"How do you know he was here?"

"That man's reiatsu is incredible. Everyone notices it when he comes here. I also know he had no business being here except to talk to you." Byakuya said. "I was surprised he did not come sooner, actually. One would think that with his record, he would have come here immediately to demand an explanation. After all, a man in love is always steady."

That admission did it for Rukia. "Oh, nii-sama!" She sobbed. "I don't know what to do! I do love Renji, but…"

"But?" Byakuya inquired.

"But I feel like I'm running away from my own true feelings." Rukia admitted at last.

"Why do you feel that?"

"Because I was scared of following my heart, I let go of _certain_ feelings I had. But now that the possibilities are open, that they in fact were always a reality, I'm not so sure the decision I'm making is the right one." Rukia said, while Byakuya stared at her intently.

"I was nervous when I was going to marry your sister." He admitted.

"You were?" She asked, surprised.

"Yes. I wondered if things would go smoothly. I feared one of my family members would try to stop the ceremony. But, I never once asked myself if I was doing the right thing. I knew that I wanted to marry Hisana, and my heart never faltered. Yours shouldn't falter either."

Rukia nodded, realization dawning on her. Perhaps this wasn't what she wanted at all.

"And if your heart's not in it, you should not get married _now_. It wouldn't be fair to either you or Renji."

She sighed. "I don't want to hurt him."

"It would hurt him more if you married him, but still held reserves about it."

Rukia took off her veil, and played with it. "Is he going to hate me?"

Byakuya shook his head. "He will be angry for a while, but he will get over it. If he truly loves you, Abarai will let you go."

Rukia smiled sadly. "I should talk to him now."

"Yes, you must. I will fetch him." Byakua said, standing up.

"Thank you."

"Oh, and Rukia?"

"Yes?"

"Another piece of advice. Kurosaki Ichigo also deserves an answer." And with that, he left her alone to her thoughts.

Her heart was beating loudly as she waited for her fiancé. Rukia had gone from getting married to this. She wondered if her heart was fickle. She remembered all of her moments with Renji, and realized that yes, there had been a time when Renji had been the man she had loved with everything she had. But things had changed. Renji hadn't gone after her. It took forty years for them to talk again. Forty lonely years when she had needed him, and he wasn't around. He had chased the wrong goals, and although he had apologized to her several times, Rukia still felt a pang in her heart when she thought about it. Renji had failed her once, maybe he would fail her again. That was the main issue, one that could not be smoothed with apologies. On the other hand, there was one man who had never failed her. A man that had changed her world. He had literally saved her.

"What am I doing?" She whispered, as she dropped the veil on the floor. "It never was such a difficult decision after all."

Just then, the door opened, revealing Renji, who looked scared. "Rukia! What's going on? Are you alright?" He asked her, clearly alarmed.

Rukia chuckled. He looked handsome with his wedding garments. They suited him. She was going to miss him, she realized. But there was something she had to do. "There's nothing wrong with me. I just need to talk to you. Sit with me, please."

"Okay…" He said unsure.

"Renji, I want you to know that you have made me very happy, and that I'll always cherish the moments we have spent together, from the time we met to now. You're an excellent man. Thank you for taking care of me all these years." Rukia said, smiling sadly at him.

"Why does this feel like you're breaking up with me?" Renji whispered.

"Because I am." Rukia cried. "But it's nothing you did! It's me… I, I changed from the time you met me. I'm not the same Rukia I was then. I thought we could completely go back to that time, but we can't. I have different needs, and you do too. I just don't want to marry you to then realize we don't work out. I want to spare us that heartache." She explained herself, feeling her own heart breaking as she saw Renji's defeated expression.

"You're wrong." He simply said.

"What?"

"You're still the same Rukia. Kind, passionate, smart, and a bit bossy. You're more confident now, sure, but the key things that make you who you are, still remain the same. So, you didn't change as a person, but your feelings _did_." Renji said. "I had already realized it, but I dared to hope. Guess a wolf can never compete against the sun, huh?" He lamented.

Rukia shed a few tears. "I just want you to know that I did love you."

"But I fucked up big time, didn't I? I let you go, and when I wasn't looking someone more deserving of you came along." He said dejectedly.

"I…"

"Don't worry, Rukia. You don't have to say anything. I understand. I had thought something along these lines when Ichigo came here last week. I had a glimmer of hope, though."

"You're still my childhood friend, and no one will ever take your place." Rukia said, taking his hands.

Renji smiled. "And I will always love you and be there for you no matter what. I'm going to be moping for a while, but don't worry too much, okay? I'll be fine." He took his hands off of her and stood up. "Well, guess I'll have to break the news now. Won't be pretty, but someone has to do it."

"You don't have to do it, Renji." Rukia said, standing up too.

"Nah, it'll be fine. You better get out of here, though." Renji advised her. "I'll be going."

Rukia nodded sadly. "See you."

Renji nodded back and opened the door. Before leaving, he turned to her. "Oh, and Rukia? Ichigo better treat you right, or I'm going to kick his ass." With that, he left, leaving Rukia alone.

Rukia sighed, and changed her clothes. Renji was right, she had to leave for a bit to let both of them heal. It was probably hell out there, with everyone wondering why the wedding wasn't going to take place. It was going to be the favorite conversation of all Shinigami for years to come, Rukia thought with a grimace. After changing, she folded the white kimono and the veil. She was ready to leave, when the door opened again.

"Rukia! What's going on? Are you alright?" It was Ichigo in the flesh, wearing a black suit which made him look incredibly attractive. She smiled lovingly at him.

"Would you believe me if I told you nothing's wrong, that things have just fallen into place?"

Ichigo stared at her, dumbfounded. She snorted. Classic Ichigo. She was trying to tell him something important, and he didn't understand. Shaking her head, she stood on the tips of her toes and kissed his cheek.

"There. Does that clarify everything?"

Ichigo smiled warmly at her. The smile she loved, and the smile she was going to protect at all costs from now on.

"Yes." He nodded, and a hand pressed on his cheek.

"Then, should we get going? It seems I shouldn't be here at the moment." Rukia said.

Ichigo didn't answer right away, he merely took her hand into his, and entwined their fingers. "Let's go." He said at length.

Together, hands still holding each other tightly, they left for the human world.

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 **A/N:** Sorry for any mistakes. This one-shot wasn't edited.

I'm sorry for Renji, but let's admit everyone was Team Ichigo in the SS.


	17. More than Fate

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Summary:** Hello! I have to apologize for my two-day absence. I was kind of tired, and then I watched the Netflix adaptation of Death Note and I momentarily lost my will to write out of my sheer anger at that movie. If you're die-hard fans of DN as I am, don't watch it. It's not worth it. But I'm back and with great news! First things first, this fanfic has reached 100 reviews! Thank you very much! Especially to everyone who has taken the time to review every one-shot, sharing your thoughts with me. You don't know how much I appreciate it, honestly! So, to commemorate this occasion, today you get two one-shots! That's right! In a couple of hours I'll upload the next one.

Since the prompts I'm working with right now are Canon/Post-Canon, I decided they would all have the same timeline, as the last one-shot, so if you haven't read "Not Over Yet" go back and read it, and if you have, let's continue. The previous one-shot was set two years after the defeat of Yhwach. This one-shot has a time skip, and it's set eight years after the defeat of Yhwach, and six years after the events of the last one-shot. These two one-shots plus the three others that follow will have _my_ perfect ending. So, this arc of one-shots as I'm going to call it, are basically a big fix-it fic. After they're done, I'm not sure if I'm going to back to this universe or post-canon. I sure won't return to them for the rest of IR month. But, maybe in the future, I can go back.

I hope you like this one-shot as much as I loved writing it!

P.S. Ichigo here has the same hairstyle as always. No way in hell will I write him having that awful haircut Kubo gave him. If you want to picture him, I imagine him in this one-shot as he looked on the color page of chapter 685, when we all still had the hope he was a Shinigami. Plus, he looked hot as hell there.

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 **Reviews:**

 **Bleach power:** Thank you very much! I loved writing that part.

 **Guest:** Thank you very much!

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More than Fate

 **Prompt:** Red Strings

 **Summary:** "Do you believe in destiny?" Ichigo reflects on bonds and destiny.

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Kurosaki Ichigo had been thinking about destiny a lot recently. He had been thinking about the decisions we take that eventually lead us to the right path. He wondered if those decisions were conscious or if there was something else moving the strings from behind the scenes. It was no strange for him to ponder about such things. He was a child of destiny after all. The way his parents had met, and how they had fallen in love… That couldn't have been coincidental. It was probably something deeper and more wholesome. He had asked his father about it once, after the war had been over and they all had found peace. The older man had chuckled, his eyes having this faraway look, no doubt recalling all the memories he had about his late wife. "Whether it was fate or not, doesn't matter, Ichigo. I'm just happy that I got to meet her and love her." Unsatisfied with that answer, he had pressed his father for something more concrete. "You could say that the gears of destiny pushed us together. But falling in love was a conscious decision, never forget that."

It had been eight years since that conversation had taken place, and Ichigo was still unconvinced about his father's words. Was it a conscious decision, or was it more than that? What about Ichigo's own destiny? The young man thought about his own life. Truth be told, for a long time it felt as if someone was pushing him towards his current path. First Aizen had claimed to be the one to orchestrate the whole thing. From Ichigo developing his Shinigami powers to battling fight after fight, becoming stronger, if only so that Aizen could have a worthy opponent. Next, it was Yhwach who had claimed such a thing. The thought left a bad taste in his mouth. He felt repulsed that such individuals had had such claims to his own life.

What about choosing then? Ichigo had chosen to live his life as a Shinigami after all. From the moment he had become one, he had loved the feeling of his sword on his hand, and his strong reiatsu engulfing him. It became familiar. It gave him a sense of purpose that in his fifteen years of life he had never had. It was the power to protect. All he had done, he had done for that purpose ─protecting. His name means he who protects, and his current path fitted his name. But had he chosen that path under the influence of his name, or had he been always destined to be a hero, to protect everyone? That he didn't know. For a long time, he had thought his fate was to be a normal human, like the rest. He had resented that fact when he had lost his powers. Once he got them back, and he had reached adulthood, he had taken a decision. He clearly had no place in Karakura or anywhere in the human world anymore. A typical human job would bring him no satisfaction or happiness in the long run. He was destined for far greater things, or so he felt. So, when Captain Kyouraku paid him a visit six years ago, and offered him training and a position in the Gotei 13, Ichigo hadn't thought twice about it. He talked to his father about it, sure, but his mind was already made. He said goodbye to all of his friends, promising to visit whenever he had the chance. He told Yuzu he would call once a week at least. He promised his father he would visit his cousins Ganju and Kukkaku. He told Karin he'd make sure to send someone competent to take care of ghosts, so they wouldn't worry her so much. With that, he left and started a new life. And although he missed his family and friends, he didn't regret moving to another dimension. He had no reason to.

"Ichigo!"

And speaking of reasons, one of his reasons for staying was knocking at his door. It was Kuchiki Rukia, the person who had given him his Shinigami powers, his mentor, best friend, partner, and, most importantly, his girlfriend of six years. He smiled warmly, and opened the door, revealing the tiny Shinigami.

"Rukia." Her name spilled from his mouth with familiarity. The man loved saying her name.

"Hey." She smiled at him, and hugged him. A younger Ichigo would have been surprised by her open display of affection, but after six years together, and all they had been through, he was used to it.

"Hey yourself." He chuckled, pulling her closer to him.

They pulled away, and Rukia smiled affectionately at him. "How was Hueco Mundo?" She asked him, taking a seat on the mat. Ichigo joined her.

"Same old, same old. Grimmjow and Nel received me at the gate. Grimmjow immediately asked me to fight him." He rolled his eyes good-naturedly. Rukia snorted.

"Figures."

"Yeah, Nel had to punch him to get him off of my back. Then she hugged me, and I almost died from asphyxiation." Ichigo said, recalling how he had almost passed out right then and there.

Rukia frowned. "Should I be jealous?"

"Of course not. There's no reason for you to be, and you know that."

She smiled deviously at him. "There better not be, _Kurosaki-kun_." She spoke with the saccharine voice Ichigo hated so much.

"Oi, enough of that!"

Rukia laughed openly. She loved teasing him. "So, how were things with Harribel?"

Ichigo started telling his girlfriend all about the meeting he had had with the Queen of Hueco Mundo, while his mind went back in time, to that meeting he had had with Kyouraku.

When Kyouraku went to Karakura to talk to Ichigo, the Captain Commander had told him that he wanted things to change in the Soul Society. After the last two wars, the place was a mess. They had lost a lot of good Shinigami and souls in general. The system that had worked for them for thousands of years had failed in the worst way possible. Many souls did not trust Shinigami anymore. A lot of Shinigami and the students at the academy had started questioning the methods and rules in Seireitei. Kyouraku realized that he had to change things to reach stability once again. He wasn't Yamamoto, not in the slightest, and he had more vision than his former mentor. He knew change was needed.

For two years, all Shinigami were busy reconstructing Seireitei and other parts of Soul Society. They had also worked on a better security system, seeing as even humans had breached it. Kyouraku had sent for the Vizards help, and had tried to smooth things over with them. Once that was done, it was time for Kyouraku to implement his changes. After seeing how Shinigami, humans, Vizards, Hollows, and even a few Quincies had come together to defeat Yhwach, he realized that that was what the Gotei been missing all this time. They needed to find a way to work together in case such a monumental thing happened again. The Shinigami needed an ambassador. Naturally, Kyouraku's first choice had been Ichigo, who was a little bit of everything. The plan was simple, Ichigo needed to come and live in the Soul Society for training. As he was already skilled at swordsmanship, shunpo, and Bankai, he wasn't required to attend the Academy. Kido and other skills he'd need to know would be taught to him by the lieutenants and captains of the Gotei 13. Meanwhile, he'd have to work as an officer in his squad of choice. Every few months, if things remained peaceful, he'd travel to Hueco Mundo to renew their alliance, and then visit the human world to observe how things had been going. Ichigo accepted, and went to live there. He practiced his skills and learned many things from each of the members of the Gotei. After a few months, he started working at his favorite squad, the thirteenth, where he worked under Rukia. Nobody was surprised by his choice, but they decided to say nothing about it. Ichigo actually worked better there than in any other place.

As the years passed, things became steadier with Hueco Mundo. Ichigo still visited them every six months, though. In the human world, Urahara, Yoruichi, Ishida, Inoue and Chad had everything under control, as well as the Shinigami Rukia had sent there to keep an eye on the spirits. In Rukia's squad, he thrived, becoming Rukia's right hand. He was very skilled as a teacher as well, and helped the squad practice their skills with the sword. There had been rumors about him becoming the next captain of that squad, not that Ichigo actually had any desires to become a captain. He thought that spot belonged to someone _else_. It had all worked out with no trouble whatsoever. A lot of Shinigami marveled at the efficacy of Kyouraku's plans. They had the hero of the world in their ranks, acting as a leader and ambassador. There had been no wars in a while. It seemed meant to be. Even Ichigo was amazed by this development. Who would have thought that Kyouraku's major plans would align with Ichigo's own more humble plans? There was the talk of destiny again.

"So you were successful." Rukia said rather proudly.

"The purpose of my visit was just to keep the alliance. But you can say that." He said modestly. "I missed you, though." He added.

Rukia blushed and smiled. "I missed you too."

Ichigo took his time to gaze at her in wonder. She looked almost the same as she had during the night they had met. The same indigo eyes, dark hair, and that beautiful smile. Rukia was simply breathtaking. The only differences were the gloves on her hands, the lieutenant band on her arm, and that her hair was longer now, reaching past her shoulders. She had started leaving it long six years ago. She was splendid, he decided. Then, he cupped her cheek, and kissed her lips softly. He pulled the back of her head to bring her closer to him. Rukia kissed him back, hands running through his back. He grunted in delight.

It was hard to believe they were here. It was like destiny… And there was that word again, clouding his thoughts. Either by chance or by Aizen's doing, they had met over ten years ago. She had saved his life in exchange of her powers, and thus their story had begun. Between Hollow hunting, living together, and learning things about each other, they had developed a strong bond. Rukia soon became the person closest to Ichigo. Then, she had been taken away, and Ichigo had fought his way until he had saved her. After that, things changed. No one understood him better than Rukia did, no one knew how to cheer him up the way she did. Those feelings continued growing, and not even Ichigo losing his powers or not seeing each other for seventeen months could change that. Then, the war against Yhwach came and went. He changed. He finally knew who he was. But it also became clear to him that he wasn't unstoppable. He could lose. He could die. And Rukia could too. She changed as well. She was still scared that Yhwach's threat would come true, even if they both along Ishida had made sure that they had destroyed him. That caused a rift in their relationship, which culminated in Rukia's decision to marry Renji. Ichigo frowned at those intrusive thoughts. He had spent a month of misery when he learned about it. He had to thank his father for giving him the strength to tell her his feelings, otherwise Rukia would have surely married Renji, and they wouldn't be here making out in his room.

Theirs seemed to be a story of destiny. But was that all it was? Did destiny intend for them to be right where they were right now, or were their individual decisions what led them here? He thought about Rukia's wedding to Renji. Had he not said anything, would she still have married Renji with no regrets? Even if he interfered by confessing, perhaps she would still have married Renji anyway if her feelings for Renji had been steady. He faltered at that. Rukia's feelings for him had been always transparent from then on. Ichigo had no reason to distrust her. That is what made him wonder all the time. The fact that she loved him back as intensely, that she wasn't holding back any longer. He asked himself again if them being together was destiny or not? How could he know? He thought about his parents again, and his father's cryptic words ─ _You could say that the gears of destiny pushed us together. But falling in love was a conscious decision._

 _Falling in love was a conscious decision._

 _Never forget that._

The thought reverberated in his mind in pulses. Perhaps he had found his answer after all.

Ichigo, unwillingly, pulled apart from Rukia's lips. She whined in displeasure. He chuckled at that. He kissed her forehead, and helped her sit again on the mat.

"Why did you stop?" She asked pouting.

She looked so damn gorgeous right then. Her hair was disheveled, her cheeks flushed, and her mouth swollen and red from his kisses. Rukia looked like a beautiful mess.

"Because there's something I need to tell you."

That caught her attention. "Oh? What is it?"

Ichigo smiled sweetly at her. "I've been thinking about a lot of things lately."

"Like what?" She frowned.

"Do you believe in destiny?" He asked her.

Rukia knitted her eyebrows, thinking her answer carefully. "Perhaps there is." She said at last. "Some things are too much of coincidences to be a matter of chance. However, sometimes it is the choices we make which decide the paths we walk on. It is difficult to be sure which one is it. Maybe we would've ended here regardless of the choices we made in the end. Or maybe not. It's one of the mysteries of life."

Ichigo smiled fondly at her. Of course she would have had a similar mindset to his own. He nodded approvingly. "I think so too."

Rukia smiled. "Great. But why did you ask me that?" She enquired.

"I've been thinking about us. About the way we met. Do you think it was destiny?"

She stopped to think for a moment. Then, she reached for his hands, and entwined their fingers. "Well, the circumstances would suggest it was fate. Back then we both were in difficult places, and through our meeting we changed and got better. We made each other better. But whether our meeting was fate or not, it doesn't change anything for me. I still would like to meet you again no matter what."

Ichigo's heart beat fast inside his chest. He was more than satisfied with her answer. "Me too. No matter what, I'd choose you over and over."

Rukia blushed. "Is that all?"

He shook his head. "No. I've been thinking about us, as I said before. I've been thinking many things. I've thought about how we met and our lives since then. Most importantly, I've been thinking about our bond. Rukia, even if our meeting was just chance, it has made me a better person. It is because of you I am who I am today. You're the one person I trust and love the most. And I'm sure that, even if we had taken different decisions and weren't together, our bond would have made it through. Because, Rukia, it will never break. We're tied together by a string, and nothing, not even death, can break us apart."

Rukia almost burst into tears at hearing his words. They were the most beautiful thing anyone had ever told her in all of her long life. Ichigo made her feel loved and cared for, in ways no one else had loved nor cared for her. He was right about their bond. Even if it never developed into a romantic relationship, their bond would never have broken. Ichigo proved it to her when he still attended her failed wedding even when he was heartbroken. If there was something real and immortal in this world, it was their bond.

"And, I just want you to know that I do think it was meant to be for me to fall in love with you. It just had to happen." Ichigo continued saying. "But staying in love with you, getting to love you every day, even when we fight or I get frustrated at you, it's a conscious decision. I choose every day, and I want to keep choosing you for as long as I live." Then, he kneeled in front of her, surprising Rukia. "So, what do you say, Rukia, will you choose me too every day until we die?"

Rukia blinked back tears, and cried. She hugged him, and exclaimed. "Yes! I'll always choose you! Now and forever! Even when we die, I'm still going to choose you! In this life and the next!"

Ichigo returned the hug, and then leaned down to kiss her passionately, letting her feel all the love he had for her. Rukia kissed him back, tears still coming out of her eyes.

After that, they didn't return to work for the day. Not that their squad missed them, Kiyone and Sentarou had had orders from Ichigo to handle things in their absence.

Ichigo and Rukia ended up deciding on a May wedding, on the date they had met, which happened to be a few months from then. That wasn't just fate. It was more than that.

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 **A/N:** Sorry for any mistakes. This one-shot wasn't edited.

Okay, so this was basically my take on the IR relationship. At the beginning, Kubo said it was a fate encounter, and with their meeting the story of destiny began. However, I think that the relationship they developed as a whole is more than just based on destiny. It's unique and founded in mutual trust, and making each other better. That's how the title for this one-shot came to be. I also played with the whole destiny thing, wondering if Ichigo's actions in the previous one-shot had changed anything for them, or not. Here, they obviously did because Ichigo changed the status, and effectively got rid of the fate Kubo gave him at the end.

Now, I gave Ichigo the destiny I thought he was going to have, not only with his relationship with Rukia, but his role at the end. I made him a full-time Shinigami and an ambassador, because I feel that, being a little of everything, he could have joined everyone together. I'm disappointed Kubo didn't go that route, but that's what fanfiction is for.

This was my first time writing an IR proposal. I read that in Japan it's not typical for men to openly propose with the question of "Will you marry me?" like in Western countries. That's why Ichigo didn't say it directly. I hope no one was confused by his question. I thought it was cute and romantic in its own way.

As for the theme of this one-shot using red strings, in the original Chinese legend, it says that people that are meant to be married are tied by red strings. No matter how tangled the string gets, they will always find each other. So, I thought it fitting to have a proposal, just in time too, because the next prompt is "Wedding vows."

Well, is the IR relationship fate, chance or something else? You be the judge.

See you in the next chapter.


	18. I'll Spend the Rest of My Life

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Summary:** Hello! If you're reading this one-shot, but you haven't read "Not Over Yet" and "More Than Fate" go back to chapters 16 and 17 of this collection, and read those firsts.

Now, if you have already read them, I welcome you to the second one-shot of today, in celebration of 100 reviews. Again, I want to thank you all, no matter if you review or not. I hope you have enjoyed these one-shots so far. Anyway, after interrupting Rukia's wedding in "Not Over Yet", and after the ending of "More Than Fate" , you can see where this is going. I welcome you to the event of the millennia: Kuchiki Rukia's and Kurosaki Ichigo's wedding! Now, I've written IR weddings a lot, so I hoped I nailed this one as well and didn't come as too cliché. I also addressed events from the other two one-shots. I thought it was important to talk about that in this one-shot. Hope you like it!

Until tomorrow!

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I'll Spend the Rest of My Life

 **Prompt:** Wedding Vows

 **Summary:** On their wedding day, Ichigo and Rukia make a promise to each other.

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Rukia stared at herself on the mirror. Her kimono was made out of the purest and most expensive silk Byakuya could find. It was beautiful and felt soft to the touch. It was pure white, and had flowers and butterflies embroidered on it. Ishida had done a superb job in confectioning it for her. With Inoue's help, he had also made a veil for her which matched the kimono. It was perfect and was an honest display of the friendship she held with both humans. Her long hair was put in an elegant up-do, and a single gold butterfly clip adorned it. She smiled at her own reflection. She looked and, most importantly, _felt_ like a bride.

"You look gorgeous, Rukia- _nee_!" Next to her, Yuzu gushed at her. Yuzu was now taller than her, having just turned twenty-one.

"Ichi-nii is gonna have a heart attack when he sees you." Yuzu's twin, Karin, said to her sister-in-law.

Rukia smiled at both of them. "You really think so?"

"He's not gonna be able to keep his hands off of you." Matsumoto Rangiku, who had just entered Rukia's room at the Kuchiki manor, said and then winked.

"Rangiku-san!" Rukia exclaimed, turning bright red.

"How cute! You're a blushing bride!" The woman jested again. "But in all seriousness, you do look very beautiful."

Rukia smiled at her sincerely. "Thank you."

"Well, I should get going. Nanao is saving me a seat. See you in a bit, Rukia. And good luck!" The lieutenant said, waving goodbye.

Rukia chuckled, shaking her head. Rangiku was still as crazy as ever. She examined her reflection once again. She still had not put the veil on, for fear of ruining her up-do. She took it and tried to see how to put it.

"Let me." A voice said behind her. Turning around, the bride came face to face with Inoue Orihime.

"Thank you, Inoue."

The young woman smiled. "It's alright. These things are complicated to put on." Inoue took the veil, and softly ran her fingers through the fabric. Ishida had outdone himself with it. She smiled lovingly at that. Taking it, she gently put it on top of Rukia's head, and adjusted it. "There. All done." Inoue said proudly.

"It really compliments the kimono." Yuzu mentioned, as she gazed at Rukia.

"Yes. Uryuu-kun designed both of them so they could match. I helped him with the veil, but he did the rest. It's certainly much better than the last one." After saying that, the other three women froze. Regret washed over Orihime. "I'm sorry, Kuchiki-san. I shouldn't have mentioned it!"

Rukia shook her head. "Don't worry, Inoue. It's all in the past. But thank you for helping me with this, really."

Orihime smiled, still embarrassed. "It was no trouble at all! I have to go back, though. We'll see each other at the reception." With that, the human girl exited the room.

Rukia sighed. Memories of six years ago filled her. That hadn't been a joyous moment for her. Much like today, she had been wearing a wedding kimono, and a veil, looking at herself on the mirror. She hadn't liked what she saw then. She hadn't felt like a bride. All because she was marrying the wrong man. It was good that she had changed her mind before the wedding could even take place. She had left with her current fiancé instead. And, although she regretted the mistakes she had made, they had made her get to where she was now, about to marry her best friend, partner, and the love of her life. She felt whole, warm, and contented. More than she had felt in her life. Ichigo had that effect on her.

"Don't worry, Rukia-nee, it's all in the past." Karin comforted her, patting her softly on the back.

"The important thing is that you're marrying onii-chan now!" Yuzu said happily.

"Yeah, I guess." She smiled at them. She really did love her sisters-in-law as if they were her own sisters.

"Speaking of which, it's almost time." Karin muttered. "I wonder if they're ready."

Before the other two women could respond, the door was opened hastily by Kurosaki Isshin, who was wearing a kimono himself, with the crests of the Shiba Clan. "Where's my beautiful third daughter?!" He yelled as he opened the door, then stopped dead on his tracks as he admired his son's bride. She looked stunning. "You look so beautiful, Rukia-chan." He said, and then held her hands. "I'm so happy you're gonna join our family!" He hugged her tightly.

"Well, Ichi-nii won't be happy if you asphyxiate his bride before they can even get married!" Karin said, pulling her embarrassing father away from Rukia.

"Karin, don't be so mean to your daddy! I just wanted to hug Rukia-chan!" He whined. "It's not every day that your brother will get married to the most beautiful Shinigami in Soul Society!" He said, making Rukia chuckled.

"Thank you for your kind words, Isshin-san."

"Please, call me daddy from now on!" Isshin grinned.

"Absolutely not." A deep voice said behind him. Isshin turned to look right at Kuchiki Byakuya, who was glaring at him. He gulped. "Well, would you look at the time? We'll see you soon, Rukia-chan!" Isshin said, and then he and his daughters left the room, not before giving Rukia encouraging smiles.

"Nii-sama." Rukia greeted her brother, who smiled in return.

"Rukia." He said, observing her. "You look very beautiful." He told her. He was not lying. She looked radiant and glorious, the living image of true love.

"Thank you, nii-sama." Rukia smiled at him.

"Are you ready?" He asked her next. The bride knew the true meaning behind his question.

"Yes." Unlike last time, she didn't falter. She answered honestly.

Byakuya nodded, pleased. "Good." Then, he sat on the floor, patting the spot beside him. "But first, let's talk."

Rukia sat next to him, taking care that her kimono wouldn't stain or wrinkle. Once she was seated by his side, Byakuya spoke again.

"Last time, I gave you the advice to marry the right person." Byakuya said, remembering that event from six years ago. "Now that I'm sure you're marrying the right man, I will give you another marriage advice." Rukia nodded, eager to hear that advice. "Marriage is not about being happy every day. There are going to be struggles you must overcome. There are going to be sad and hard times. You two must remain strong, and trust in each other. You need to share every aspect of your life with your husband, Rukia. Above all, you must care for each other, and decide to love each other every day of your lives together. You must cherish each other." He said.

Rukia blinked back tears. She understood why her brother had told her all of these things. She thought about her sister, whom she hadn't been able to meet. Byakuya had indeed cherish her. She knew that she was going to cherish Ichigo for as long as she lived. Even beyond that.

"Thank you very much, nii-sama. I'll follow your advice." She said.

"You're going to be very happy, Rukia. I know that because you've been so for the past six years." Byakuya said and smiled a little. "Kurosaki Ichigo is a great man. I wouldn't lose you to a lesser person."

Rukia smiled. "He is. And I _do_ love him."

Byakuya nodded, feeling at ease that his sister's happiness was secured. "Well, it's time. We must get going, Rukia." He said, and then helped her on her feet.

Rukia looked at her reflection one last time, and smiled encouragingly at herself. She had never felt this much joy. Then, she wondered how Ichigo was doing. She hoped he wasn't that nervous.

* * *

Ichigo wasn't nervous. He was giddy. In half an hour, he would get married to Rukia, the only girl he had ever loved. He adjusted his hakama, trying to look presentable.

"Stop moving so much, Kurosaki!" Next to him, Ishida reprimanded him. "I didn't spend all this time making your wedding garments for you to _ruin_ them before the wedding!" He exclaimed, prying Ichigo's hands away from the fabric. "Well, with my clothes, you look presentable enough." He nodded to himself.

"Jeez, Ishida, thank you." Ichigo replied sarcastically.

"You do look well, Ichigo." Chad said, giving his friend a thumbs up.

Ichigo smiled. Both of his friends were wearing kimonos Ishida had specifically designed for this event. In fact, Ishida had gone out with the clothes. The moment he had received the invitation to the wedding from Rukia and Ichigo, he had insisted he wanted to design their clothes as a wedding present. Then, he became excited and designed clothes for everyone, Ichigo's family, Chad, Inoue, Tatsuki, Keigo, Mizuiro, and himself. Ichigo couldn't complain, though. He had to admit Ishida had style, and the clothes looked magnificent. He couldn't wait to see how Rukia looked like.

"It's almost." Chad suddenly said, looking at his watch.

Ichigo nodded. This was it. The moment he had been waiting for a long time. Then, someone knocked at the door. Ichigo raised an eyebrow. He doubted it was his father again. He had just left to check on his 'precious third daughter.' "Come in." Ichigo said.

Just then, the person he had least expected came in. It was Abarai Renji, the man who had once been his rival, and then had become his friend. After the failed wedding, they hadn't talked much, though.

"Renji." He whispered.

"Ichigo." Renji acknowledged. "Can we talk?"

The groom nodded. Ishida and Chad took that as their cue to leave, and went out, most likely to take their places on the shrine to watch the ceremony. Once the door was closed, Ichigo turned to look at his former rival. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

Renji sighed. "Look, I don't want to make things awkward, knowing what happened some years ago." He alluded to Rukia calling off the wedding. "But, I wanted to give you my blessing ─not that you need it, of course. But I thought it'd be nice to give it anyway."

The man blinked. "So, you're not mad?"

Renji scoffed. "Ichigo, Ichigo, Ichigo, I'm not the kind of man who holds grudges forever. I got over Rukia a long time ago. Was I hurt for a long while? Yes. Did I want to kick your ass? You bet. But, in the end, I wanted what was best for Rukia, and that is being with you. I don't hold anything against you. It's not your fault that we fell in love with the same girl, or that she chose you instead of me. If she had chosen me, then you'd be the one in my position, and I wouldn't want you to be remain unhappy. It's been six years, Ichigo. I'm honestly happy you're getting married. I wish you the best. And I don't want things to be awkward anymore. I'm still your friend, no matter what." At the end of his speech, Renji smiled and shook Ichigo's hand.

"Thank you. I really appreciate."

"No problem, man. And now you're the one who has to deal with Captain Kuchiki. Have fun with him being your brother-in-law." Renji joked.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "He's your captain, you know?"

"Then we're both screwed."

They both laughed at that.

"Well, I'll be going. I want to get a nice seat for the event of the millennia." With that, he left Ichigo to his own thoughts.

He was honestly glad Renji was doing better. Ever since the failed wedding, interactions with Renji had been uncomfortable. It didn't help gossip had arouse after such even took place. Many souls said that Ichigo had stolen Rukia away from Renji, taking her to the human world, which wasn't true, but the rumors were still hurtful to the three of them. Ichigo figured it was worse for Renji. Rukia spent around a month in the human world with him before she had to go back. He didn't know how it was for both of them there, as Ichigo visited her once or twice a month in the Soul Society. Then, a few months later, Ichigo moved to Soul Society, and the three had been forced to interact. It had gotten better over the years, but Ichigo wanted to know how Renji was doing. No matter what, they were still friends. He was glad to know Renji felt better.

"Ichigo, it's time." His father told him, interrupting his musings.

The groom smiled and followed his father.

* * *

Rukia looked amazed at the place. Byakuya had spent a lot of money on the wedding. They were to be married at the shrine on the Kuchiki estate, which had been thoroughly cleaned and decorated with the most beautiful flowers she had ever seen. She wondered how the banquet and the hall would look like. They would be amazing, she just knew it. But not as amazing as the sight of her groom standing in front of the shrine, waiting for her. He looked absolutely handsome with his black kimono and hakama. She could have kissed him right then and there, but applied a bit of self-control.

"Yo." He greeted her with a warm smile on his face.

"Hey." She said, smiling at him.

"You look gorgeous." He whispered into her ear, making her shiver.

"You don't look so bad yourself." Rukia told him, winking.

Byakuya cleared his throat, interrupting their flirting. "We should head in." He told them. The bride and groom nodded, and, hand in hand, walked into the shrine. Their guests all followed them. Rukia could see Ichigo's family, Ishida, Chad, Inoue and the rest of their friends from Karakura there. Urahara-san was wearing an elegant kimono for once, instead of his usual green robes. Yoruichi-san accompanied him, wearing a bright yellow kimono. Soi Fong sat next to them, while Omaeda followed. Rangiku had managed to get a nice place next to Nanao and the Captain Commander. Next to her, Hisagi, Kira, Hinamori and Captain Hitsugaya sat down. Behind them, Rukia was surprised to see Renji, who waved and smiled at her. Captain Shinji was joined by the other Vizards. Hiyori tried to hit him for trying to flirt with Inoue. Kiyone and Sentarou had managed to get good seats, and they beamed at the couple. The rest of the captains and lieutenants formed part of the guests. Half of the eleventh squad sat on the last rows, with Kenpachi between them. Grimmjow and Nelliel, the ambassadors of Hueco Mundo, were present as well. Rukia felt joy at seeing so many people there, wishing them a happy marriage. She felt a pang on her chest at knowing there were four people who couldn't be present but should have been. It soon passed when she remembered that, no matter where they were, they would have been happy for them.

Ichigo and Rukia stood in front of the priest, who then began to purify the bride, groom, and the guests. Traditional weddings were long, and Rukia mentally prepared herself for it. She was a bit nervous, but Ichigo's hand in hers gave her the strength she needed. The priest began reading a scroll, announcing the marriage and seeking blessings for the couple. The ceremony continued, until it was time for the Exchange of Nuptial Cups ceremony. They took their cups gently, and sipped them, careful of not dropping the sake to the floor. Then, it was time for the wedding vows, the part everyone had been waiting for. Rukia smiled at Ichigo, who smiled back. They hadn't told anyone yet, but they decided to break tradition and write their own vows.

Ichigo took out a scroll from his robes, and started reading it. "Kuchiki Rukia, I swear that I will love you, respect you, honor you, protect you, and be there for you forever. No matter what life throws our way, or the obstacles we have to overcome, I'll never desert you. I'll spend the rest of my life cherishing you. And, even if destiny itself tries to pull us apart, I'll find a way back to you. We'll always be together."

Rukia blinked back tears at Ichigo's words. They might not have been poetic, but they were sincere, and that was more than enough. She gulped. It was her turn now. She suddenly remembered her brother's words from six years ago. _Be serious about the vows you're going to take._ She had never been more serious about anything in her life. "Kurosaki Ichigo, I swear that I will love you even when you're being a blockhead." At this, everyone laughed, and Ichigo chuckled. She continued. "I will always be there for you no matter what. I'll support you in all of your endeavors. I know you wish to protect me, but understand I will protect you too. I will cherish you forever. I promise I will never let anything come in our way."

Ichigo beamed at her, and all of their guests cheered. Her now husband took a step forward, and grabbed her waist, leaning down to join their lips together. They kissed passionately, while all of the guests cooed and clapped. They pulled away, smiling at each other, their fingers entwined. The guests toasted to their happiness in marriage with rice wine. Soon, they were all personally congratulated them, and wishing them the best. The newlyweds thought that they had already what they wanted, for they were finally together, and would continue to remain like this forever, no matter what. After all, that is what they had promised.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for any mistakes. This one-shot wasn't edited.

So, Ishida was more excited than the newlyweds and made outfits for everyone. I didn't write it here, but he pursued his dream of being a fashion designer. It was very obscure, but Inoue already got over Ichigo by this point, and has a not so small crush on Ishida. The man is oblivious. I also wanted a scene with Rukia and the twins, so I hope I got them right.

Also, I'm forever salty Kubo missed the big opportunity of making Ichigo and Byakuya brothers-in-law. Imagine the possibilites!


	19. Death & Strawberry

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Summary:** Hello! Sorry I didn't upload yesterday, I ran late and couldn't publish this one-shot in time. But here it is! So, I finally had to chance to put into words what would have been my ideal ending. By this I mean, an ending which satisfied both my wants regarding the series as well as my shipping needs. I put some of my headcanons here, but the general idea is how good of a team Ichigo and Rukia make. This is the sequel of the last one-shot, so now you know what happened after the wedding. Also, this takes place ten years after the defeat of Yhwach, and two years after the events of last chapter. I had to re-read the cursed chapters, but it was worth it. I'm happy with how this turned out. The title is a nod to what made Bleach so great to begin with: Ichigo and Rukia. I also want to dedicate this chapter to all IchiRuki shippers out there. This fandom is amazing! I have found amazing people here of different cultures and ages. Thanks to this fandom, I have even made friends. Also, you guys are so supportive of my writing. Honestly, I didn't want to write IR anymore after the ending, but thanks to you I have written more than I have in ages. I even got rid of my writer's block. So, this one-shot is for you all!

Until tomorrow!

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 **Reviews**

 **Bleach Power:** Thank you very much! And yes, Byakuya sure knows how to give advice.

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Death & Strawberry

 **Prompt:** A Perfect End

 **Summary:** There really was no questioning it. From the beginning, it had always been the two of them, and that is how it'd remain forever.

* * *

"Why are they taking so long?" Rukia muttered as she paced around the room she was at on the first squad's barracks.

"Relax, Rukia. I heard that Zaraki-taichou and Ikkaku are late." Renji said, shrugging. "You know how Captain Zaraki is, he probably got lost on the way here."

Rukia chuckled a little at that. "Some things never change." Then, the woman looked around and frowned once again. "Speaking of which, where _is_ Ichigo?"

Renji gulped nervously, and scratched the back of his neck. "I… I don't know. Maybe he's showing Zaraki-taichou the way here?"

The woman sighed loudly. "It figures than on this _extremely_ important date, Ichigo would run late." She ranted, crossing her arms.

Renji gulped again, cursing his friend. He knew from experience that getting on Rukia's nerves was like a death sentence. He silently prayed for Ichigo's well-being. "Look, I'm sure he's gonna be here soon."

Rukia scoffed, and then smiled at her childhood friend. "Thank you for being here, Renji. It means a lot to me, to us."

The man smiled at her. "Well, since I'm a lieutenant I had to be here anyway. But I'm glad I could help you." He joked, and his friend snorted. It had taken a lot of time, actually, and it was only until very recently that they had started talking to each other like they did before the drama of their failed relationship. It was nice to recover their old friendship. Renji didn't love Rukia in a romantic way, anymore. He was just happy to have his friend back.

Rukia wanted to add something, but was interrupted by the noise coming from outside the room. "Hey! Maybe that's Ichigo!" Renji said and they both peaked to look outside the room. They found that Soi Fon and Kenpachi were having a disagreement. Ichigo was nowhere in sight.

"I'm so going to kill him." Rukia muttered through clenched teeth. Renji sweatdropped.

More commotion could be heard outside, and then a breathless Ichigo walked into the room. His jacket was wide opened, revealing his perfect abs. "Yo!" He greeted them.

"Yo?! That's what you have to say?!" Rukia shouted, completely enraged at his appearance.

Renji took that as his cue to leave. "See you two in a bit!" He said, and then rushed out of the room. No way was he going to witness his friend getting murdered by his wife.

"I'm sorry I'm a little late. I had something I needed to do." Ichigo excused himself, scratching his neck.

"And pray tell me, what was more important than being here on time?" Rukia said sarcastically.

Ichigo smirked at her. "You'll see."

She rolled her eyes. "At least fix your uniform. You have to look presentable!" She scolded him.

The man winked at her. "Do you like what you see?"

The woman would have added something else, but was interrupted by Isane, who entered the room. "The ceremony is about to begin." She informed them, and went away.

"Ready?" Ichigo asked her, taking her hand.

"Ready. You?" Rukia told him.

"More than ready."

They walked hand in hand, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

On the hall, all of the captains of the Gotei 13 were standing in front of each other, with Kyouraku Shunsui, the Captain Commander, standing in the middle. His two lieutenants were on his right and left, while the rest of the lieutenants took their places behind their captains. Once they were all set, Kyouraku, with a booming voice, called them. "Will the new captain and lieutenant please enter!"

Rukia fidgeted on her place. Ichigo squeezed her hand gently. "Hey, it's going to be okay. And, if you want, I can trip on my way there, so all the attention is on me."

She smiled at him, feeling more at ease after his joke. "It won't be necessary."

"Introducing, the captain of the Gotei 13, Kuchiki Rukia!" Kyouraku said loudly.

Rukia, already wearing her haori, took a step forward, her cheeks flushed. "Present!" She said loudly, trying to sound as commanding as possible even if she was a jittering mess.

"Introducing, the lieutenant of the Gotei 13, Kurosaki Ichigo!" Kyouraku spoke again.

Next, Ichigo, who had been admiring his wife, entered the room. "Present!" He was already wearing his armband, the one that had previously belonged to Rukia.

The other captains and lieutenants clapped and congratulated them, welcoming both into their ranks. Finally, after ten long years, all major positions in the squads had finally been filled. Kyouraku looked pleased with the new captain and lieutenant of the thirteenth squad. Byakuya was extremely proud of his sister and even of her husband. He was the first to congratulate them. Ever the lively bunch, all the lieutenants congratulated Ichigo and invited him to a round of sake. He politely declined, saying he had something else to do. They immediately all joked about Ichigo being whipped. He didn't deny it. Meanwhile, Rukia accepted Kyouraku's words about Captain Ukitake, and how proud he would have been of her. She almost cried. Next, she spoke to Isane, Lisa, and Soi Fon, the latter seemed pleased to have another woman as captain. Once the celebration was over, and everyone returned to their squads, Rukia finally turned to look at Ichigo, glaring at him.

"What were you thinking?" She hissed.

Ichigo chuckled. "I was thinking on planning a surprise for my wife, given the fact she has just been promoted to captain. I thought she'd like it." He said cheekily.

"Do not act cute in front of me, Kurosaki Ichigo. That doesn't explain why you were half naked!" His wife kept scolding him.

"Oh, but I thought you liked it when I showed you my abs." He teased her, speaking huskily, and taking a step forward to her. She took a step backwards.

"Not if all the Seireitei saw you looking so indecent!" Rukia continued saying. "I don't want anyone else having a look at those abs!" She exclaimed, blushing and looking irritated.

Ichigo grinned. He took another step forward, and grabbed his wife, hugging her. "I love it when you get jealous and hormonal."

"Do not tease me, Kurosaki- _fukutaichou_ , I'm mad at you." She said, but didn't pull away. Putting her head on his chest, and wrapping her arms around him. "It's your fault I'm hormonal, after all."

Ichigo smiled sweetly at that. His arms descended from his wife's arms, and he put his hands over her stomach. With her Shinigami uniform, and now the haori, it wasn't as noticeable, but it was there, he could feel its roundness. He rubbed Rukia's baby bump gently, making her smile. "You weren't saying that when we found out. Besides, we're happy to have you here, baby." He said, speaking to Rukia's belly.

She snorted. "You're such an idiot."

"But I'm _your_ idiot, forever. You promised." Ichigo said, grinning from ear to ear.

Rukia scoffed at her husband, but smiled nonetheless. "So what was the surprise you were talking about?"

Ichigo smiled. "Oh, you're gonna need to see it to know."

"Then what are we waiting for! Let's go!"

"Aye, aye, _Captain_."

They walked in a comfortable silence, their fingertips brushing with each step they took. The whole Seireitei knew they were married, and had been so for two years already, but they didn't like to display their affection in front of everyone, much less of their squad. They had enough to deal with the gossip on the monthly Shinigami Magazine ─written and published by the Shinigami Women Association─ as it were. They preferred being subtle. Sometimes, they would brush their fingers, or pat each other on their shoulder. They rarely hugged in public. However, they did smile a lot at each other, conveying with that simple gesture all that they were feeling.

They continued walking, thanking all of the Shinigami who congratulated them along the way. They both smiled, feeling proud of each other. Truth be told, their promotions were a dream come true. Rukia wanted to honor Ukitake, who had taught her so many things, and was always there for her. Meanwhile, Ichigo wanted to honor Rukia by being a great lieutenant. After all, she wasn't only his wife, but she had also been his first mentor. What he knew about being a Shinigami came directly from her. Their promotions also signified one thing: together they made a great team, which was something they were already aware of, but now everyone knew.

They passed by their own squad at last, when Sentarou and Kiyone greeted them.

"Taichou! Fukutaichou! Congratulations!" They said at the same time, surrounding the couple. It felt good to once again have both a captain and a lieutenant in their squad. They felt complete.

"Ah, Kiyone and Sentarou, thank you." Rukia thanked them. Beside her, Ichigo nodded his thanks too.

"We're so proud of both of you!" Sentarou said.

"But I'm prouder!" Kiyone added, prompting another fight, which Rukia was already used to by now.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. Those two should confess their feelings already. The pent-up sexual tension was getting too much for him to deal. Besides, everyone in the squad knew they were in love. It would be easier if they just went and said it. Although, their bickering did make him laugh from time to time.

"Kiyone." Ichigo interrupted them. "Is everything ready?" He asked cryptically.

The girl grinned at him, and gave a thumbs up. "Everything's all set, _fukutaichou_."

"Excellent." He said.

"What is she talking about?" Rukia asked him.

"Oh, you'll see. Let's go." He took her hand and led her away from the squad.

"See you in a bit, Captain!" Both third seats exclaimed, as Rukia followed her husband.

"Where are you taking me?" She enquired.

"Somewhere close. Are you tired?" He asked her. She was pregnant after all, and had had a long day.

Rukia shook her head. "Not really. I can rest after the surprise."

Ichigo chuckled. "That's the spirit."

They kept walking until their house came into view. It was close to the thirteenth squad, so that they would never arrive late. It was smaller than the Kuchiki Manor by a long shot, but the size was just fine for them. It was medium sized, and it had a beautiful garden along a koi pond, which they tended to every day. It also had enough space for their growing family, and to even house a few guests, like Ichigo's family whenever they came to visit. The spouses loved it. They had both bought it, with their salaries it hadn't been so difficult. Byakuya, as a wedding present, had helped them furnish it. Other people had given them items for decoration here and there for the last two years. Currently, it was filled with baby stuff everywhere.

"Why are we home?" Rukia asked Ichigo, with wonder. But before he could answer, a bunch of people she knew came into view.

"Congratulations!" All their friends and family shouted the moment they saw them.

Rukia gasped, and turned to look at Ichigo, clearly shocked. "Is this the surprise?"

"Yes, hope you like it." He winked at her.

Then, they were surrounded by Ichigo's family.

"Oh, Rukia-chan, congratulations on that promotion!" Isshin said as he hugged his daughter-in-law. When he hugged her, he felt the bump and smiled. "Oh, let me look at you! Is that my grandchild?" Then, he put his hand on Rukia's belly, trying to see if the baby would kick.

Rukia laughed, while Ichigo got annoyed. "Can you please stop touching my wife?"

"Shut up, Ichigo! I'm just excited!"

"Oi, aren't you going to congratulate me too, goat chin?"

"Don't listen to dad. Congrats, Ichi-nii, Rukia-nee!" Karin said next. Briefly hugging each of them.

"Thanks, Karin."

Yuzu approached them next. She was carrying a baby on her arms. "Rukia-nee, onii-chan, congratulations! We're so proud of you! Aren't you proud of mommy and daddy, Mamoru-chan?" Yuzu said, looking at the one-year-old baby.

The baby boy gurgled the moment he saw his parents, and raised his chubby arms, trying to reach them. "Mama, dada!" He said gleefully.

"Thank you, Yuzu." Ichigo said. Meanwhile, Rukia giggled when she saw what her son was wearing.

"What is this, Mamoru? Who dressed you like this?" She said, taking her son in her arms. The baby was wearing a bunny suit, which included a hoodie with bunny ears.

"That's why I got to the ceremony late. Mamoru here didn't want to wear the suit. He grabbed by robes, and opened them. He was that angry! I agreed it was ridiculous, but that it'd make his mommy happy." Ichigo said, gently rubbing his fingers on Mamoru's head.

"Don't listen to daddy. You look very cute!" Rukia said, and looked into her baby's eyes, which were of the same color as hers. The baby gurgled in reply.

"Rukia-san, Kurosaki-kun, congratulations!" A heavily pregnant Orihime said, accompanied by Ishida, who was holding her hand.

"Ah, thank you, Inoue." Ichigo said simply, while both women held each other. The man took his son in his arms. Mamoru started to play with his dad's hair, which was of the same shade of orange as his.

"Need I remind you she's not Inoue anymore, Kurosaki." Ishida said.

"Tch. It's the same to me. But thanks for coming, Ishida."

Meanwhile, Orihime gushed on the baby. "Oh, Mamoru-kun, you're a cutie! Are you going to play with my baby?"

"Oh, yeah, how much longer until she's born?" Rukia asked Orihime, pointing to the other woman's large baby bump.

The woman smiled and rubbed her tummy. "Two months."

Rukia smiled. "Congratulations, Orihime."

"And how much longer until the new baby comes?" The human woman asked next.

Rukia rubbed her tummy too. "Five months. We still don't know what it is, but we both have a feeling this time it's going to be a girl."

"Excellent! Then our daughters will play together!" Orihime clapped, excited.

"Ichigo, Rukia, congratulations." Chad approached them next, carrying presents for the couple.

"Thank you, Chad." Ichigo said, as he clapped his friend on his back.

"Can I carry him?" He asked, looking at the baby on Ichigo's arms.

"Sure." Mamoru giggled as Chad carried him and started playing with him.

One by one, all of their friends and the rest of Ichigo's family approached them. They all congratulated them on their promotions and on the new baby. Mamoru passed from one pair of arms to another, all the guests excited to see the couple's firstborn, especially their friends from the human world, which had rarely seen the baby. Grimmjow and Nelliel had also come to the party. Grimmjow was specially intrigued by Mamoru, and wanted to 'test his abilities.' Everyone promptly kept him away from the baby, with Byakuya being the most worried about his precious nephew associating with such people. Urahara tried to carry him, but Mamoru started crying, which resulted on an angry pair of parents, and Yoruichi being amused.

"Too bad you're not good with children. What will you do with ours?" She said ironically.

Urahara paled. "Ours? What are you talking about? Wait, Yoruichi-san!"

All of the guests talked about what they had been doing recently, in an effort to catch up. Ishida's clothing business was thriving. Apparently, he had gained fame after one of his designs had appeared on a fashion magazine, being modeled by his own wife. Orihime had had to put on hold her job at the hospital. It was tiring being pregnant and having to attend patients at the same time. Chad had opened his own gym, where, among other things, he taught kickboxing to both children and adults. He was very happy about it. Tatsuki, after winning a lot of medals, decided to open her own dojo. Mizuiru worked in a legal firm, where he had met a lot of women, he still didn't want to settle down, though. Keigo remained a bachelor, but was very happy with his job as an accountant. Yuzu had just finished studying to be a chef, and worked at a restaurant nearby the clinic. Isshin still worked at his clinic. Karin had pursued a career as a professional soccer player, and had made it into the big leagues. As for Urahara, Yoruichi and Tessai, they kept working at Urahara's shop, aiding the Shinigami who went to Karakura, as well as keeping the amount of Hollows to a bare minimum. The Vizards which remained in Karakura helped them with that. However, honestly both Hiyori and Hachigen spent more time in Soul Society than in the human world. In one way or another, everyone had found their place in the world.

Later that day, Rukia and Ichigo lay in bed, holding each other. Ichigo rubbed Rukia's belly, while she played with his hair. Mamoru was asleep already in his own room, having been exhausted after a whole day of playing.

"Do you remember when we met?" Ichigo asked suddenly.

Rukia snorted. "Of course. How could I ever forget? You were the weirdest human I had ever come across."

He laughed. "And I thought you were a burglar."

"Yeah, you even kicked my ass!" His wife said, feigning outrage.

"Well, it's not like you haven't already taken revenge on that. In fact, that day you used Kido on me and painted a moustache on my face!"

"Oh, right." Rukia snorted. "I had forgotten about all that, _Your Highness, Mr. Baron_." She teased him.

"Shut up."

"But why do you ask?" Rukia asked again, turning to look at his face.

"I've been thinking about that." Ichigo said, shrugging.

"Is it about destiny again?" She asked him, remembering a similar conversation they had had.

"Not really. Well, it has to do with destiny, but that's not all. I've just been thinking about that, when we met, I never thought you'd be so important to me. And now, we're here, married, with a beautiful son and a baby on the way, and we've just been promoted. It seems amazing to me how my life changed so much. One day I was a normal human, and the next I was a Shinigami." Ichigo expressed himself, animatedly.

"You were never that normal to begin with. You could see spirits." Rukia jested.

"Yeah, but I never imagined how life after death was. Then, when I knew, I found myself feeling more alive as a spirit than as a human. I found my purpose and even more than that. I found love, and I got my own family. I would have never done that without you." He said earnestly, taking her hands in his.

Rukia smiled tenderly at him. "Before I met you, I felt so lonely. In a sense, I was more than dead. But now, I fulfilled my goals, and I have a family of my own. Most importantly, I found you, Ichigo."

He pecked her lips softly. "We're better together, huh?"

"The best team ever." Rukia nodded.

Ichigo started playing with her long her, as he spoke again. "And it will continue to be so, for a long time."

Rukia smiled, and the baby inside her kicked, as if agreeing with her father's words. They were the Death and the Strawberry, after all. Nothing would ever change that. The blade had already been swung down.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for any mistakes. This one-shot wasn't edited.

So, this one-shot had a lot of my own headcanons, so I hope you liked them. I added IshiHime in honor of IshiHime week, and because they were the first couple I shipped in Bleach.

As for the IchiRuki kids, if you have read other fanfiction of mine, you'd know I normally name Ichigo and Rukia's firstborn "Ichirou", for it means "first son" and follows the whole pattern of the boys having a name starting with I. However, when I learned Kazui's name actually means something along the lines of first or number one, I decided I couldn't name this baby with something similar. I was never a fan of the name Mamoru for their first kid, but then the more I thought about it, the more I thought it'd fit. Also, it's a nod to the song "Kimi wo Mamotte, Kimi wo Aishite" (I protect You, I love You) the 19th ending of the Bleach anime, which features an IR scene. Also, Mamoru looks more like Ichigo, because I wanted to follow the trend of the first boy looking like his father. As for the new baby, it's a girl, who's going to look like Rukia, except for the eyes, which are Ichigo's brown eyes. I planned to name her Shiroi, but, what do you think? Do you like it or have other suggestions?

Why no Yhwach? That will be explained in the next one-shot.


	20. The Six of Hearts

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Summary:** Hello! Sorry I didn't upload last week. You see, on Wednesday I had a meeting with Destiny and I couldn't be late. After that event in my life, I stayed sad the rest of the week. On Sunday I tried to write this one-shot, but re-reading the last few chapters was exhausting and disappointing. I got mad at Kubo again for his shit ending. Honestly, we didn't deserve this. Anyway, here's this one-shot. I tried to write how I thought the final battle was going to go. I also tried to explain how they defeated Yhwach and everything. Thought it wasn't a bullshit thing like Kubo usually does. I had to pull things out of my ass though, because I have no idea what Kubo actually planned. This is a retelling of the final fight, but with my own additions and improvements. The IchiRuki here is super subtle, but it's still there. Hope you like it.

As for last chapter, I get it was very sappy, however I remind you that it was _my_ perfect ending, with everything I wanted, even if it doesn't fit the Shounen genre. This is a fanfic.

Until tomorrow!

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 **Reviews**

 **Bleach Power:** Thank you very much! Glad you liked the futures I gave them. It literally means white haha.

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The Six of Hearts

 **Prompt:** "Kurosaki … Kuchiki … I leave it to you…"

 **Summary:** It's time for the final battle against Yhwach. With the help of his friends, will Ichigo be able to defeat him?

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 _It is over_. Ichigo thought as he watched Yhwach open a portal. His powers were gone. All he felt was a void in his mind. It was over. He had lost. Ichigo second guessed all the decisions he had taken which led him to this moment. He felt nothing but despair.

"Farewell, Ichigo." Yhwach said, turning to look at his body lying on the ground. "From this moment on, I have no need for your or for my children, the Sternritters. Just sit back and watch from here as I bring ruin to it all… The Soul Society and the real world."

Frantic footsteps could be heard approaching them. Ichigo vaguely noticed the reiatsu that accompanied them. It was Rukia and Renji, who were coming to help him, no doubt. However, it was done. He had lost. There was nothing they could do. Both lieutenants watched horrified as Yhwach turned to look at them, noticing the bodies of both their friends, almost unconscious and deeply injured.

"It's rather insulting having these insignificant pests coming after me in droves. With your bodies on the brink of exhaustion, I'd be amazed if you could take even one more step from there." Yhwach said. "But if you truly wish to come for my head, then, by all means, please do. I shall leave this gate open for all of you. And if you do choose to pass through, then, in light of you exceptional spirit and fortitude, I shall bestow upon you a most extravagant and luxurious death." He threatened them. "For I shall find the future, that one moment in time where each of you feels the greatest amount of joy and happiness, and it is there, I shall slaughter you." Ichigo barely digested his words, already deep in despair. "So, from this point forward, every time you indulge in your own happiness, you shall think of my words. And, in that moment, when you do, you will remember my looming shadow, the terror of death I now promise you, for all eternity." Saying these words, he started walking into the portal.

"Wait!" Renji suddenly yelled. "Hold it right there, you bastard!" He pointed Zabimaru towards Yhwach.

Ichigo gave a shaky breath. _Stop… don't even bother, Renji._ He thought hopelessly. It was over, after all.

Yhwach stopped and then threw a piece of a broken blade. Renji was horrified to recognize it as Ichigo's Zangetsu. He could only watch as the greatest foe he had ever seen left through the gate, not even sparing them, one last glance.

"Ichigo! Inoue!" Rukia shouted, and then rushed to aid them both. The two of them were deeply wounded, and Rukia had to admire that they were still alive after receiving such injuries. "What on Earth is that ability?" She muttered as she assessed the damage. She had never seen something like that. Not even from Aizen. She started healing Orihime, who had the worst injuries. "He can actually rewrite the future? If he can do that, then there's no limit to what he can accomplish…" Rukia rambled on, trying to make sense of the situation. _There must be a way, though_. She thought. _It can't be over yet._

"So…sorry, Kurosaki-kun." Orihime rasped from where she was lying. "I couldn't heal Tensa Zangetsu…" She cried. "Which means I won't be able to use my 'rejection' to undo any of the destruction that's occurring or that will come in this future that we're entering… Please forgive me… Now you won't be able to fight any more." She whispered. It was clear Orihime was despairing as well. It was a pitiful sight. Rukia frowned, deeply conflicted.

Renji, however, had another thing in mind. He grabbed Ichigo's arm and pulled him up. "Get your ass up." He commanded seriously.

Rukia gasped, shocked. "Renji! Wait! Now's not the time!" She yelled at him. _Idiot! You're hurting Ichigo!_

"We don't have that luxury! We're gonna go after him." Renji barked back.

Rukia knew he was right. They couldn't just stand there and watch the world burn to a crisp. Still, there must be another way. Rukia was sure of that. "You fool! Charging in head first is no plan! We need to regroup and form a strategy before we confront him!"

"We could sit here 'til we're blue on the face… ain't no strategy that'll work against a freak like that…" Renji muttered.

Rukia sighed. "There's… there's got to be something…"

"Yeah… you're totally right… it's too late… it's hopeless now…" Ichigo said, eyes downcast and dead.

"Ichigo." Rukia said. There had been few times when she had seen him defeated, but even then, it was his will to live which keep him going. Now, though, he looked already dead. She hated to see him like that. She stood up and walked towards him. "I know it seems like there's no way to win, but I know that if we stay together, between all of us we can come up with a solution." She said with conviction. It was time to be brave.

The young man chuckled mirthlessly. "Like what? I can't even fight anymore, Rukia. I have no sword."

"We can help you with that." A voice said from behind them.

Ichigo turned and was surprised at what he saw. "Tsukishima!" The fullbringer, as well as Ginjou and Yukio were there. "Chad!" Ichigo exclaimed, for his friend was with them. He looked as if he had seen better days, but he was still standing.

"What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked them.

Tsukishima shrugged. "Ginjou said we're taking your side now, so I didn't really have much to say on the matter."

"You're taking our side?" Ichigo enquired, not quite believing his words.

"You really are a prick." Ginjou barked. "I never said we'd take their side. My exact words were we'd come to repay our debt to him." He said with a smirk. "Now, Ichigo, let Tsukishima here pierce you with his sword."

Ichigo recoiled at that. "Why should I trust you?"

"Because they're here to help you, Ichigo." Chad said and smiled.

Ichigo nodded, having calmed down. He trusted Chad blindly. "Okay, do it!"

Tsukishima did as he was told, and pierced Ichigo with his sword. "Orihime." The man turned to the girl. "Use your souten kishun on his sword again. He may have rewritten the future with such an immense power that you're not capable of 'rejecting' it with yours. But, _if_ there is a past where that didn't happen, then you should be able to 'reject' it there." He explained. "And that's exactly what I've inserted." He, then, pointed to his sword. Then, as Orihime used her ability, Zangetsu returned to normal. "Your sword has not been broken."

Ichigo gasped, amazed at seeing his zanpakutou in one piece again.

"Well, then, I guess we can call our debt repaid. We're square now, right?"

Ichigo grabbed his sword with shaky hands, and then stood up again. "Hell yeah!" He said, resolve filling him. He wasn't going to hesitate anymore.

"Well, let's go!" Renji said, turning to leave.

"Wait! Weren't you listening earlier?! We need a plan!" Rukia stopped him.

Renji glared at her, but before he could say anything, Ichigo interrupted. "Rukia's right."

"What?"

"When I came here to fight Yhwach, I came almost without a plan. Because of that, Inoue and I got hurt, and my sword was broken." Ichigo exclaimed.

"Kurosaki-kun…" Orihime muttered, feeling bad thinking she had failed him.

"I won't make the same mistake twice. We need to have a plan, so we don't such a big disadvantage."

Renji sighed. "Fine, but don't take long!"

Meanwhile, Rukia sat down to think. There must have been something. Ichigo and Inoue together had been defeated, but Ichigo wasn't so lost in that plan. While Ichigo fought, Inoue used her abilities to shield him and heal him. That had been a smart move. However, one person against Yhwach, no matter how strong, was at a serious disadvantage against such an opponent. However, not even Yhwach could probably fight many adversaries at the same time without difficulty. "Got it." She said, attracting everyone's attention.

"What do you mean?" Renji asked her.

"I have a plan. It might not work, but it's better than nothing." She said.

"Go on." Ichigo encouraged her.

"One against one won't ever work with Yhwach. He's clearly more powerful than anyone in here." Rukia started explaining. "However, even such a powerful being might have trouble keeping more than one opponent at bay."

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked.

"That if, say, five attack him at the same time, he won't defeat us so easily." She smirked. Ichigo smirked back.

"And who's those five?" Renji asked.

"Ichigo, you, me, and Inoue and Sado if they're up to it."

Chad nodded. "Count me in."

Orihime smiled. "Me too!"

"And then?"

"Each of us will have to attack with all we have. Except Inoue, I want her shielding us as much as possible. Ichigo, you, Renji and I should all use our Bankai. With Shikai, we won't ever get anywhere." Rukia said. "If all goes well, with our powers combined, we might be able to defeat him."

Ichigo smiled. "That's a plan! Let's go!"

Together, they walked towards the gate. Ichigo stopped for a moment and observed his friends. They were all worn, and should be resting, however there was a special glint in their eyes. They were filled with hope. Something Ichigo was lacking. They went through the open portal, and started running. Dread invaded Ichigo's body once again. Would they be able to make it? What if they lost and all of them died?

"Are you sure you should be tagging along?" He asked them.

His four friends eyed each other, before they all nodded towards Rukia, who walked to him and slapped the back of his head. "Stop acting so pitiful, _tawake_!" The small Shinigami scolded him. "Yes, we're sure! We're not going to leave you alone, Ichigo! Everyone here stands by you! Believe in our strength as we believe in yours!"

Ichigo looked at her completely mesmerized. He had been so deep in despair that he had forgotten an obvious fact ─he wasn't alone, and had never been alone in this fight. His friends would always fight by his side, as he would be by theirs. He smiled softly at Rukia. As always, it had been her who pulled him out of his misery. He nodded. "Alright. Let's go!" Rukia smiled back at him.

They ran until they noticed Aizen had freed himself from his chair, and was now fighting against Yhwach. It wasn't much of a battle, with both talking more than fighting. Ichigo soon realized Aizen was giving him time to prepare. He turned to look at Rukia, a plan already forming on his mind. She nodded, understanding. They both turned to stare at the others, sending them a signal. This was it. Time for the final battle.

"You'd stand in my way? For the sake of Soul Society?" Yhwach told Aizen. "I don't think that would be in your best interest."

"This has nothing to do with interests." Aizen explained, smirking. "My only agenda is to eviscerate any who might try to rule over and control me."

Just then, Yhwach noticed that Ichigo and Renji had jumped, swinging down at him. Yhwach ducked and put distance between himself and his enemies. "Ichigo, Renji, you arrived rather quickly." He said, gauging their reactions. "I've already seen it all. That the two of you would come here. That would you restore your blade again only to have it shatter once again in your arms." He almost laughed, as he watched Ichigo's shocked expression.

Behind them, Orihime used her powers and restored the sword once again. She could not explain why, but this time, it had worked without Tsukishima's interference. It seemed that the fullbringer might have added more than one past where that didn't happen. Yhwach growled.

"You've got some rather annoying good fortune, Ichigo. But, it doesn't matter, I will win no matter what. I've seen it all." He tried to take a step forward, but his legs were momentarily frozen by pure, white ice. Turning, he looked at Rukia in the eyes.

"Did you see that happening too?" She questioned, huffing.

Yhwach chuckled. "Ah. So this is _that_ present in which Rukia and Orihime decided to join you, eh Ichigo? Even your friend Yasutora has decided to join in the fun." They stared at him in disbelief. "Well, it doesn't matter. Either way, you will get the same result." Saying that, he attacked them.

They all leaped, and formed the position they had agreed on beforehand. Orihime settled at the back, protecting everyone with her shield. Ichigo stood in the middle, carrying Zangetsu in his hands. Rukia stood at his right, already using her Shikai. Meanwhile, Chad stood at his left, preparing to attack. Renji, Zabimaru in Shikai form, stood next to Rukia. They started attacking him, starting with Ichigo. He jumped and swung his sword at him. As he did that, Renji soon followed suit, attacking with Zabimaru. Next, Chad would jump and try to punch him. Finally, Rukia used Sode no Shirayuki to freeze the ground, as she tried to hit their opponent too. Yhwach chuckled as he dodged each and every attack. However, they did not manage to injure him. It was getting frustrating. They kept swinging at the villain, getting hit time and time again. However, Yhwach hadn't managed to injure them completely either, for Orihime used her shield to protect all of her friends. Because of this, she was the first to fall, receiving a well-directed hit from Yhwach, to stop her from shielding them. Ichigo stepped forward and tried to hit his enemy to no avail.

"You all are hanging by a thread." Yhwach commented as Ichigo breathed heavily. "You should have waited to get healed. Why didn't you, Ichigo? Was it because you thought you shouldn't waste time to come after me? I thought I made it pretty clear. That, even if you chased me down, you wouldn't be able to change a single, damn thing." He spoke gravely. Then, Renji attacked him with his zanpakutou, but Yhwach dodged once again. "That applies to you as well, Abarai Renji!"

Renji was already fed up. He remembered Rukia's plan of using their final release form, and proceeded to do it. "Bankai!" He yelled. "Souou, Zabimaru!" He attacked again, but it was useless. His Bankai collapsed. "Shit!"

"When will it get through that thick skulls of yours that even a meager Bankai will be made impotent? All Bankai have been destroyed in the future." Yhwach explained. "And yet you would still oppose me? So, in order to drive this point home, I'll crush you with my very hands!" He yelled.

Rukia, who had almost rushed to aid Renji, paused. Was it that futile? No, maybe there was a way. She stopped to think. Could it be? An idea had hit her, but she wasn't so sure it would work. Meanwhile, Chad, who had been watching passively, attacked this time, leaping suddenly to confront Yhwach. "Brazo derecho de gigante!" He yelled, and then got hit, collapsing on the floor. Before he could get hit even more, Aizen jumped out of nowhere.

"Aizen?! You? Acting as a shield for these people? Ha! Now, I've seen it all. Unifying before a common enemy… Actions benefitting the very losers you detest so!" Yhwach taunted him, but Aizen didn't speak.

"Hadou 99, Five Swirling Dragons of Destruction!" He recited the incantation, and a dragon sprung from behind him. He sped towards Yhwach.

"By the way, it appears you have yet to notice, Aizen Sosuke, that your Kyouka Suigetsu has already broken!" He exclaimed.

Aizen's eyes widened as he took the hit from Yhwach. Blood dripped down the gash on his chest, as he went flying and hit the ground with a vicious thud.

"Futile. I've already seen that as well." Yhwach merely muttered. "Ichigo." He turned to look at his enemy, who had jumped to fight him. "A golden opportunity is slipping right through your fingers…" He said as he grabbed Ichigo's sword. "You assessed the layout of your situation, and decided it would be ideal to unite yourself with Aizen Sosuke. However, as you have clearly seen, Kyouka Suigetsu's power is no match for mine either." He said cockily. "The one to feel the wrath of my power in the first attack was Inoue Orihime. Then, Abarai Renji, and finally Sado Yasutora. Now, the one whose arm I shall pluck off will be yours, Ichigo." He said. "Remember nothing escapes my gaze." After his words, Zangetsu broke again, its pieces falling to the ground. "Rest in pieces, Ichigo." Yhwach said, as he made a hole through Ichigo's chest. Blood splashed everywhere as Yhwach laughed. "It's been fun, Ichigo. Your resistance was mildly amusing at best. So, the least I can do for you is erase your existence along with Soul Society."

"I see." A voice said, which wasn't Ichigo's. Yhwach turned to look intently at the person he had grabbed and realized it was Aizen. "So you think you're gazing at Kurosaki Ichigo. Fascinating." He said. He then looked behind him. "This is time to try your abilities out, Kuchiki Rukia."

"Bankai!" Said Shinigami exclaimed. "Hakka No Togame!" Rukia activated her Banaki, her appearance changing, turning pure white as the ground froze around her. She used shunpou to reach Yhwach, attempting to freeze him.

The man laughed. "So yours can still work? Ah. I see now! Well, Kuchiki Rukia, let's see what that Bankai of yours can do! Catch me if you can!"

Rukia cursed as she chased after him. Her time was running out and she knew she had but one chance. Propelling herself, she managed to reach Yhwach in time to partially freeze half of his body, rendering him motionless. "Now! Ichigo!" She shouted.

Ichigo leapt and swung his sword down. "Getsuga Tenshou!" He managed to hit Yhwach, and watched as he dissolved into a black mass with eyes covering. Next to him, Rukia breathed heavily, having had returned to normal.

"Is he gone?" She whispered.

"It appears so." Ichigo answered, still staring at what used to be the King of the Quincies.

"Passable enough." Aizen commented. "Well done responding to my Kyouka Suigetsu as quickly as you did." He praised the pair.

"On my way here, I got this strange familiar feeling. I talked about it with the rest before we arrived." Ichigo explained. "It was similar to the one I felt when you had placed everyone under Kyouka Suigetsu's spell."

"Indeed." Aizen nodded. "I released Kyouka Suigetsu before you all arrived here. Furthermore, I confirmed that it could be used to interfere with his 'Almighty' clairvoyant powers. The final components were you, Ichigo, who is unaffected by Kyouka Suigetsu for lack of exposure. And you, Kuchiki, who, by the power of the Hogyoku, ended up not being unaffected by it." He said, looking at both of them. "Who would have thought that me not showing you the release, Kurosaki Ichigo, and that storing the Hogyoku inside of you, Kuchiki Rukia, would have paid off like this?" He added as an afterthought. Then, he frowned and turned around, facing the mass that was Yhwach, directly attacking him. He collapsed.

"Aizen!" Ichigo shouted as both he and Rukia watched horrified how Yhwach surrounded them.

"Kyouka Suigetsu's effect appears to have ended. Pride? Or did it just reach its limits?" He wondered out loud. "Say, Ichigo, did you really think something of that caliber would be enough to kill me?" He spoke, as the mass became humanoid. It was a frightening sight. "My power is the power to alter the future itself. I can even rewrite futures in which I have died!" He yelled.

Ichigo jumped head first, trying to hit him, but Yhwach made his sword fall from his grasp. "Useless!" Next, Rukia tried to freeze the ground or his legs again as Ichigo went back to grab his sword, but Yhwach dodged every attack. Just as Ichigo was about to grab Zangetsu, Yhwach hit him with his black mass.

"Gah!" He exclaimed in pain.

"Ichigo!" Rukia shouted, and leapt to his aid, only to be absorbed by the mass too.

"This is the end." Yhwach told them gravely. "This world and Soul Society will, before my power, lose their form and become one!" He laughed.

Rukia frowned. She needed to do something. She activated her Bankai once again, and dropped her body temperature to zero, rushing to Yhwach, and watching as he slowly froze. He glared at her and grabbed her, freezing as she cried in pain.

"Rukia, no!" Ichigo shouted.

"Did you really think your measly Bankai would hurt me, girl?!" Yhwach said, as he crushed Rukia on his hand.

"No, but it was a good distraction." Rukia taunted, watching with pleasure as he kept freezing.

He growled, but before Yhwach could say or do something more, an arrow stabbed him. "What the…? What is this?" He asked, as he felt himself become paralyzed. He started freezing more rapidly. He loosened his hold on Rukia, dropping her on the ground. His powers had suddenly stopped.

"Ishida?!" Ichigo exclaimed, as he saw his friend standing there. It was obvious he had been the one to fire the arrow.

"Now, Kurosaki!" He shouted.

Ichigo grabbed Zangetsu, and rushed towards the villain.

"So what!" He screamed. "So what if you managed to stop my powers for just an instant?!"

Ishida gulped. _It's useless… is it?_ His mind rapidly rushed to his fight with Haschwalth. _Your powers might be the only ones capable of stopping his Majesty's Almighty_. He thought hard about it. He jumped, and rushed to meet Ichigo halfway. _We still have time!_ Just as Ichigo's zanpakutou hit Yhwach's hand, it broke, revealing Zangetsu's original form underneath. Ichigo cut him in half. Ishida wasted no time and activated his own powers.

"Schrift!" He yelled. "Antithesis."

The two of them silently watched as Yhwach's form imploded and disappeared, leaving no trace behind.

"Great timing, Ishida." Rukia said, as she limped towards them. She was hurt from the fall and for having thawed too quickly, blood was dripping from several wounds on her body.

"Rukia!" Ichigo yelled, and rushed to her side, holding her before she could collapse. "Idiot! You know you have to melt slowly!" He scolded her.

"Tch. I needed to buy us time." She explained.

Ishida smiled at her. "Don't worry, Kuchiki-san. Your efforts were not in vain. We defeated him." He said.

"About that, how exactly was it possible?" Ichigo asked, lying Rukia on the ground to asses her injuries.

"The arrow I fired at Yhwach was made from a type of silver which forms as the result of Auswahlen. If it mixes with the blood of the one who activated it, can, for just an instant, stop his powers. Ryuken gave that arrow to me, and I used to stop Yhwach just in time for you to cut him down, Kurosaki." Ishida explained.

"But were Ichigo's powers enough to defeat him once and for all?" Rukia said suspiciously.

"Yeah, Ishida, is he gone? I also heard you say something."

Ishida shook his head. "No, I activated a special power of mine called Antithesis. Haschwalt told me it was the exact opposite of Yhwach's Almighty. While you cut him down, I used it to destroy him. Let's say I used his weakness against him."

Rukia smiled. "See? I told you there was a way to defeat him. Our plan worked after all. We're stronger if we're all together."

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, though we have to give it to Ishida. He's the true hero, this time." Ichigo said, and then patted Ishida's back.

The Quincy flushed. "Well, I'm amazed too that it worked. But I wouldn't have been able to do that, if Kuchiki-san hadn't frozen most of his body."

Rukia chuckled. "That's teamwork."

The trio smiled at each other. They had done it.

Suddenly, a shout interrupted them. "Rukia-san! Ichigo-san!" It was Hanatarou, who was running towards them.

"Here!" Ichigo said. "Rukia needs your help!"

The boy ran to patch them up. "Someone is already healing the others." He explained hastily as he bandaged Rukia. "There's still a lot of people to heal." Then, the boy turned around. "Wait… where's Yhwach? Did you defeat him?"

Ichigo smiled. "Yeah, we did."

It was over once and for all.

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Omake

Aizen, having already recovered from the wounds Yhwach had inflicted on him, stood and grinned when he realized everyone else was distracted. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for. While no one was looking, he would infiltrate the Soul King's palace and take the place that was rightfully his. "Just as planned." He muttered, smirking. But before he could start moving, something hit him square on the chest, forcing Aizen to fall down right on his chair. "What?!" He exclaimed. How could this be?! Who had deterred his plans?

"Yare, yare. Can't have you running off, Aizen." It was none other but Kyouraku Shunsui.

"What?! Unhand me this instance, Shunsui!" Aizen said, as he struggled on the chair.

"No, can't do. You see, you still have to serve your sentence. If I recall correctly, you're missing 18, 798 years." Kyouraku replied, before ordering a group of Shinigami to take Aizen away.

"What?! No!" He screamed as he was taken away.

Shinji smirked in the distance. "Serves you right."

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for any mistakes. This one-shot wasn't edited.

So, an explanation. Urahara left it all to Ichigo and Rukia here because he thought ahead and knew Aizen was going to help them if only to not lose his world to the likes of Yhwach. For this, Aizen would have to use his Kyouka Suigetsu. It'd only work with Ichigo, like in the manga, and I added Rukia too because of the powers of the Hogyoku. Also, since Rukia's Bankai makes it so things freeze below zero, she could freeze Yhwach. He wasn't as quick as her powers. However, that wouldn't stop him forever, just long enough for Ichigo to attack, and then long enough for Ishida to fire that arrow. Perhaps it's not much of an improvement, but her Bankai should have had a better use. Also Renji's complete Bankai, and Hisagi's, Aizen showing his Bankai, and I could go on and on. Now, the explanation for Ishida totally defeating Yhwach, and killing him, comes from a conversation he had with Haschwalt, in which he was told that his powers were probably the only ones capable of defeating Yhwach's Almighty due to their nature. So, Ishida used them and defeated him once and for all. That's why he didn't appear in the other chapters. He's dead. Gone. Ishida is the hero, like he deserved.

As for the omake, I find t unbelievable that Aizen wouldn't try to take advantage of the chaos to become Soul King. However, in this one, Kyouraku planned ahead and put him in that chair before he could do anything. Sorry, Aizen. Better luck next time.


	21. I Call Your Name

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Summary:** I'm extremely sorry I wasn't able to upload anything in almost a month! I really am. However, my life has been hectic lately. First, I had a reunion with my first love, which was a hard situation for me and painful in some ways. Next, my work condition changed a bit. I'm teaching new classes at a new place, and I was preparing myself. Then, I received the news that I got accepted in a master's degree program, and I've been super excited! I haven't been able to calm down yet! Lastly, this prompt was very difficult for me to write because I had no idea what to do with it. Hell, I even watched Fade to Black again, and nothing. I ended up settling for this one-shot. It's not really the best, but it's something I wanted to play with. That being said, I also lied when I said I was over with my AU version of Bleach's finale. This one-shot is set in that same universe, right after one-shot 18.

Thank you everyone who has continued reading, and I'm sorry I took so long!

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 **Reviews**

 **Bleach Power:** Thank you very much! Glad you liked the team work. As for my meeting with destiny, it was sad, but I had to go through with it.

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I Call Your Name

 **Prompt:** Fade to Black

 **Summary:** Rukia cannot stop thinking about Homura and Shizuku. Ichigo is there to cheer her up. But there might be a reason as to why she's thinking about them.

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Rukia was in her office doing paperwork. The task at hand was tedious, but it needed to be done. Soon, Hisagi would come and ask her for the paperwork, before handing it in to Nanao. The young lieutenant sighed. She had been reading the same sentence for about five minutes already, but she couldn't concentrate. "Focus, Rukia." She scolded herself, and, taking her brush, proceeded to sign the papers in her hands. This activity took her another hour, and once it was done, she smiled in satisfaction. "There. All done." Next, she organized every paper in an orderly manner, and then put them on her desk, where they would wait until Hisagi came by later that day. Rukia straightened her back, and yawned. She had had an almost sleepless night, and she was tired. She put her head on the desk, and closed her eyes.

Rukia opened her eyes and noticed she was no longer in her office. She was somewhere on the Rukongai. This surprised her, especially because she wasn't wearing her uniform anymore, but a purple yukata. She wandered aimlessly, trying to get back to Seireitei, but she realized she was lost. She didn't recognize any of the buildings she saw.

"Rukia." A voice called her.

She turned around immediately. "Who's there?" She asked.

"Rukia!" The voice called her again, and this time childish laughter followed it. "Come with us, Rukia!" Now, she could see two figures far away, beckoning her to follow them. Then, they sprinted.

"Wait!" Rukia shouted, pursuing them. As she ran after them, she tripped a few times. Whenever she thought she was close to them, they started running faster. "Hey! Wait!" She pleaded again.

"Come with us, Rukia! We're waiting for you!"

However, no matter how fast she ran, they seemed to get farther and farther away from her. "Please, wait for me!" Rukia shouted again, tripping on her feet. She fell to the ground and saw helplessly how they got away.

"Come, Rukia!"

They kept calling her name, but there was nothing she could do.

"Rukia!"

"Rukia!"

Soon, the voices faded away, and everything went dark, leaving Rukia alone on the floor.

"…taichou… Fukutaichou!" Someone said, as they moved her arm. Rukia opened her eyes and saw that Kiyone was the one moving her. She realized she had fallen asleep.

"Oh, Kiyone." Rukia acknowledged her third seat. "What is it?"

"You fell asleep." The girl replied. "I thought something might have happened."

Rukia shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine. Just a bit tired."

"Yeah, our fukutaichou is a _newlywed_. She might not be getting enough sleep." Sentarou, whom the lieutenant had noticed until then, said suggestively, wiggling his eyebrows for good measure.

Rukia frowned annoyed, and was about to say something, when Kiyone slapped him with such force he spun a bit.

"You're such a pervert, Sentarou!" She exclaimed, her cheeks red. "Stop thinking about that!" Then, she turned to look at Rukia. "I'm so sorry about him. We'll leave you alone now."

She snorted as she saw both third seats leaving her office, while they kept arguing. She was glad that, throughout the years, those two had never changed. They were still as lively as ever. Rukia also felt warm knowing they had been worried about her in their own way. Shaking her head, she chuckled and organized her paperwork, but her task was interrupted by the feeling of a familiar reiatsu approaching her office.

"Why is Sentarou complaining about Kiyone being hormonal, and why is he saying it's my fault?" Her husband asked the moment he entered the room.

"Don't worry about it. Come here." Rukia said, motioning him to come closer.

Ichigo complied and leaned down to give her a quick peck on the lips. "Hey."

"Hey yourself." She said smiling.

"Do you need help with the paperwork?" The man asked his wife, pointing at the papers that were on her desk.

"No, I already did it. But don't worry, in a while it's going to be your job." She said, winking. During their wedding, Kyouraku had spoken to both of them about the possibility of getting a promotion. There was really no one better than Rukia to become captain of the thirteenth squad, which had been Ukitake's wish as well. While Ichigo, during the last six years, had proved he was capable of being a lieutenant. They had both accepted, although Kyouraku told them it would still be a while until the promotion was made official.

"Well, maybe to get used to it, we could do half and half, right?" Ichigo said, scratching his neck.

Rukia smiled warmly at him. He was such a dork, trying to disguise the fact he wanted to help her. She was lucky to have him as her husband. "I think that's a brilliant idea. But be prepared, now you won't be able to escape it."

Ichigo smirked. "Doubt some documents will be too much for me."

His wife rolled her eyes. "Getting cocky, aren't we?"

"Always."

They spent a few minutes in comfortable silence, while Rukia put away the ink and brush she had used to sign her paperwork. Once it was all tidy, she looked at Ichigo. "So why are you here?"

"What? Can't a man visit his own wife at work?" He replied, crossing his arms and pretending to be annoyed.

 _Wife_. Hearing him say that word still brought a smile to her face as a giddy feeling covered her completely. It had been two months already since their wedding day, and that feeling didn't seem like it was going to disappear any time soon.

"It's not that. I just thought maybe there was another reason for you being here, besides visiting me." Rukia answered.

"Actually, I was hoping you'd like to eat lunch with me." He said, showing her the basket he had brought with him.

Rukia smiled. "Of course."

They walked together, the tips of their fingers barely brushing. Both were kind of embarrassed to show their affection in public, despite the fact they had been together for six years, and that everyone in their squad knew they were married. However, that simple gesture was enough for them. They didn't need to say I love you all the time, for they knew what they felt for each other, and most importantly, they showed it in other ways.

After walking for a while, they reached a spot near the river which Rukia was particularly fond of. She had shown it to Ichigo long ago, when they first started dating, and she had shown him around her squad for the first time. There, Rukia told him about Kaien-dono, her mentor and former lieutenant, and all the lessons he had given her. Ichigo had listened intently to her back then, and hadn't said a word until she had finished telling her story. Then, he had told her he was happy that there had been someone in her life that helped her before they met, and that he was sorry she had had to go through such a traumatic experience. Ichigo hadn't acted insecure about her admiration for Kaien, nor had he enquired anything else. In that moment, Rukia decided two things, 1) their romantic relationship, like their friendship, could take anything, so she didn't have to fear telling Ichigo things about her past, and 2) that spot would be their new place to eat lunch or just spend time together.

They sat down together, and Ichigo took out their food, gently passing her the obentou boxes he had brought. Although he still wasn't as good of a cook as Yuzu or Rukia, he did a decent enough job. Rukia was very happy that they had managed to divide their responsibilities in their household as well as they had. They both cooked, cleaned, and took care of the management of their house. She was truly lucky. If she had married another man, maybe she would have been expected to take care of everything by herself, which was impossible given the fact her position in the squad took a lot of her time.

As they ate, Rukia felt tired once again. It had been happening all week actually, as well as her recurrent dreams. She yawned, and leaned on Ichigo's shoulder, closing her eyes. Her husband looked down at her, smiling. He kissed her forehead, and then held her, pulling her closer to him. Rukia smiled, and snuggled into him.

"I'm tired." She mumbled.

"I've noticed. Did you sleep well?" Ichigo asked, clearly concerned.

Rukia shook her head. "I haven't all week."

The man frowned at that. It was rare when Rukia couldn't sleep. In fact, she rarely had problems falling asleep, not in the past two months, and not in the past years. He was sure that even when they had first met and Rukia lived in his closet, she slept peacefully. There must be a reason for her insomnia, which he wondered if it was linked to their night time activities.

"Is it because of me?" He asked, his cheeks turning slightly red.

Rukia hit him on the chest. "Fool!" She exclaimed as she looked at him, embarrassed as shown by her red cheeks. "That's not it!"

"Then?" He asked her, worrying even more.

Rukia looked down for a moment, then returned to her original position in his arms. "Bad dream." She whispered.

"Oh? What is it about? Maybe if you tell me, you'll stop thinking about it."

That made sense, so Rukia proceeded to tell him all about her dreams. "It's about Homura and Shizuku."

Ichigo nodded, remembering the pair of siblings that had wreaked havoc years ago in their quest of returning to Rukia's side.

"I've been dreaming about them… well, I think it's about them… I'm somewhere in the Rukongai, and two voices keep calling me. They belong to children. I look around, and I can only see their silhouettes. They tell me to come with them, and I try to follow, but as much as I run after them, I can never reach them. After that, all goes black and I wake up. I can't fall asleep then."

Ichigo kissed her lips softly. "Hey, maybe you just miss them, and that's why you're dreaming about them."

Rukia simply nodded. "I'm still saddened about it, you know, how we were reunited only to be parted again."

He looked at her sadly, remembering the part he had played in that. "I'm sorry."

Rukia gazed at him lovingly and shook her head. "It's not your fault." She hadn't blamed him once. Nothing that had happened had been because he did something wrong. The siblings weren't meant to live anymore.

"I meant what I said back then. I'm sure, someday, you and they will see each other again." Ichigo said.

Rukai smiled. "Thank you, Ichigo."

"It's no problem."

* * *

After her talk with Ichigo, Rukia honestly thought she would get a good night of rest. However, she woke up at 3:00 am shaking after having the same dream. Well, it wasn't quite the same dream. There had been just one voice this time, which kept calling her. Much like on the rest of the dreams, she had fallen down before reaching the child. Yet, the voice told her something before everything went dark. "We'll see each other soon enough!"

She had been restless after the dream, and she had been unable to fall back asleep. It didn't help that she felt slightly nauseous. Perhaps it was because of lack of sleep, she reasoned. She stayed in bed until Ichigo opened his eyes. One look at his wife told him Rukia wasn't feeling any better than the day before.

"You had the dream again, didn't you?"

She nodded. "It was bit different this time." Then, Rukia told him about the new dream.

Ichigo looked thoughtful. "Maybe it's something else."

"Maybe."

"Don't worry, Rukia. I'm sure the dreams will stop eventually." She really hoped so.

They got ready for work. Rukia barely ate breakfast, for her stomach still felt queasy. Ichigo got worried about it, but Rukia calmed him down, believing it was due to lack of sleep more than her being sick or anything of the sort. She drank tea to try and settle her stomach down. Then, they went to their squad, and separated to do their different activities. Today, Rukia was in charge of kidou training, which was one of her favorite chores. The new members of her squad all settled on the training grounds, and followed her instructions. Rukia was enjoying herself. She was very proud of her newest members, and how far they had come since they first joined the squad. She had no doubts they would all become seated officers in no time. As she observed them, she started getting dizzy. Her vision blurred, and she lost her footing.

"Lieutenant!" They all shouted, and one of them managed to grab them before she hit the ground.

All of them surrounded her, asking if she was alright, while others went to look for Ichigo. As she was feeling better, and had finally sat, her husband arrived, looking frantic.

"What happened?!" He asked, as he kneeled down next to her.

"Kuchiki-fukutaichou fainted. I managed to catch her before she fell." The Shinigami said.

"Are you feeling better now?" Ichigo asked his wife.

"Yeah, a bit."

He frowned. She still looked too pale. "Let's go to the fourth squad." He announced, getting up and then carting her in his arms.

Rukia yelped. "Eh? What for?"

"You need to get checked." Ichigo simply said, as they walked out of the squad.

"I can walk, you know?" She grumbled, her cheeks turning red as several Shinigami turned to look at them.

"It's safer this way." He shrugged.

"You're just taking advantage of the situation to hold me." Rukia said playfully, feeling much better.

"Tch. Now I can't worry about my own wife." Ichigo complained.

"Of course you can, fool." She said affectionately.

They soon arrived at the fourth squad barracks, and ran into Hanatarou, who got worried when he saw Ichigo carrying Rukia. The boy immediately guided them to the captain's office, where Isane, having been newly appointed as captain, received them. Isane asked Rukia a few questions, writing everything down. She seemed serious, which worried the couple.

"Kuchiki-san, I'm going to need to make a blood test." The captain said.

Rukia merely nodded, and let Isane draw blood from her arm.

"I'll be right back." Isane announced, and went to the lab, taking with her the blood sample.

"Do you think something's wrong?" Rukia asked Ichigo, feeling scared.

Ichigo looked worried as well. "Let's hope it's nothing." He said, and took his wife's hand, squeezing it to give her strength.

Isane came back, no longer looking worried but with a smile on her face. "It seems congratulations are in order." She said gently.

This puzzled the spouses. "I'm sorry?" Rukia said, not really comprehending anything.

The captain giggled. "I know why you have been feeling dizzy, Kuchiki-san. I was a bit surprised and wanted to make sure, but there's nothing to worry about." She explained calmly. "Kuchiki-san, Kurosaki-san, congratulations, you're going to be parents!" Isane exclaimed.

Rukia blinked once, then twice. Next, she turned to look at Ichigo, who was clearly surprised. They looked at each other and then smiles blossomed on both of their faces. A baby! They were going to have a baby! That was the best news they had gotten in some time. Happiness radiated from them. The prospect of having a child with the person you love most was overwhelming in a good sense. Although it was a big surprise, and certainly not something they had planned, they both felt elated. Rukia put a hand on her abdomen, while Ichigo covered it with his much bigger hand. They looked at each other and smiled.

Isane made more tests, and gave Rukia some recommendations, scheduling a visit for next month. They discovered Rukia was around seven weeks along, meaning they had conceived their child during their first week as a married couple. It seemed too good to be true. Still in a daze, they went home. Rukia lay down on the futon with Ichigo beside her, kissing her forehead and lips, while Rukia giggled.

"I can't believe it." Rukia whispered.

"Me neither." Ichigo said.

"I'm so happy!" She said.

Ichigo entwined their fingers together. "I'm happy too, Rukia! I love you so much." He said warmly, and then kissed her lips.

His wife smiled. "I love you too."

"Hey, do you think this was why you were dreaming about them? Like, your mind was trying to tell you about the baby?" Ichigo asked her.

Rukia pondered about it for a while. The dreams had been recurring for a week now, as well as the symptoms she had ignored. There was probably a bit of truth in what Ichigo had told her, specially taking into account the last dream she had, which featured a child calling her and his or her cryptic words. They would certainly be seeing each other soon. However, there was something else. Homura and Shizuku were special to Rukia in ways she couldn't describe. She had taken care of them, and given them names as if she were their mother. She felt as if she had been so, and their loss was something that she was still grieving. This baby would never take their place, yet, she felt like now she could truthfully come to terms with what happened. Maybe now she was ready to move on.

"I think they were trying to tell me they're still with me, in my heart." Rukia said at length. "And maybe the baby was also trying to make his presence known with that last dream."

Ichigo smiled. "They will never leave you. Not me either."

She grinned and then kissed him. "That's true for me too."

They kissed again, hands covering Rukia's belly, where their child would continue growing for the next seven months.

* * *

 **A/N:** Yes, the baby is Mamoru, making his presence known to his mommy.

For me Homura and Shizuku were like Rukia's children, and it was heartwarming to see Rukia being so motherly to them.

Well, I'm still missing three prompts from IR Month, but don't worry, I'm going to complete them. Then, I'll publish Death in the Cabaret Part II, and after that unrelated one-shots. I will tell you when I will start accepting requests again.

See you until next time!


	22. What Has Been Left Unsaid

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Summary:** I'm sorry for again taking so long to update. I don't know why but I've been uncapable of writing anything for a month now. I don't know if I experienced a short writer's block or what, but words weren't coming to me even when I had planned this one-shot for a long time now. Anyway, I'm back, and I want to let you know I will complete the last two prompts of the IR month and then I will continue writing the other one-shots I had planned. Once I'm clear, I will start asking you guys for requests.

Anyway, today's one-shot is actually a request from **darkenedsun21** on Tumblr who asked for a one-shot of Ichigo and Rukia having a talk after those seventeen months. I tried to make things subtle, and technically you could read this as a friendship one-shot, but there's more to it. This is what I thought Kubo meant with "they're not a couple but there's more to it than just friendship."

I hope you guys like it, and we'll see each other soon!

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **Bleach Power:** Thank you very much! I'm feeling better now :)

* * *

 **Prompt:** "Thanks to you, the rain has stopped."

 **Summary:** After seventeen months away from each other, Ichigo and Rukia finally get to talk.

* * *

What Has Been Left Unsaid

Ichigo sat on the roof. The lamps of the street dimly lit the night. The moon, high in the sky, shone brightly, giving the young man enough light to see his whereabouts. It looked like another night in Karakura. Quiet and peaceful. However, if one was observant you could distinguish certain figures wandering about the streets, who were not at all human. Ichigo smiled when he recognized one of those figures, calmly passing by. It had been way too long since the last time he had seen one of them. A smile ghosted on his lips, as he sighed. It was an average night for most residents of Karakura Town, but it definitely wasn't a normal night. It had been anything but ordinary. Ichigo closed his eyes as he felt the power irradiating from him envelope him in a cozy cocoon. It felt incredible to have his powers back. It was like getting back a sense. He could see, hear, and even feel better now. Tonight, he was back to how he used to be. He could have stayed there forever, if someone hadn't disturbed his calm moment.

"Oh, there you are, Ichigo." A voice said from behind him.

"Rukia." He acknowledged her without turning his face to see her.

Ichigo had felt her before hearing her, and had had a few seconds to recollect himself. A lot had happened since the last time they had seen each other, and he felt that he couldn't act around her as before. Rukia, though, had other ideas. She hummed in reply, and sat right next to him, observing the same spirit Ichigo had looked at earlier. They remained silent, and he felt a sense of déjà vu. Long ago, there had been times when the two of them had talked on the roof at nights after killing a particularly nasty Hollow. They would sit and chat, or just remain silent in the same way as they were just now. Yet, a lot had changed. Looking at his companion and her short hair as well as the lieutenant band on her arm confirmed his suspicions that he was indeed in the present and not the past.

"You know," Rukia broke the silence after some time, "you were incredible back there." She said, referencing to the fight that had taken place a few hours earlier.

"Yeah?" He muttered, finally looking at her face. She was smiling.

"Yeah. You handled things very well. I'm proud of you."

His breath hitched and his heartbeat quickened. He hadn't known how badly he had wanted to hear those words until she said them. His cheeks turned slightly red, while he nodded, smiling softly at her. "You've gotten soft." Ichigo said.

Rukia scoffed. "I have _not_!" She punched his arm as she said those words. Both knew she was lying. "Maybe, it's you who's gotten soft." She added, crossing her arms.

Ichigo snorted. "Yeah, maybe."

"I'm serious, though. I'm proud of you." The Shinigami said, looking at him straight to his eyes. "I knew you would never betray _us_ , no matter what, because that's the kind of man you are, Ichigo."

The young man felt genuinely flattered. "So I owe you for having everyone help me earlier, right?"

"Nah." She dismissed him. "You don't owe me or anyone anything. It was the least we could do after everything you've done for us. Besides, as I said before, you handled things well."

Ichigo gazed downward. "Actually, for a moment there I wasn't handling things so well…"

Rukia turned to look at him with concern. She knew what he was talking about. She had seen him defeated and on his knees after all. It had been a heart wrenching sight she had stopped the moment she could. Rukia never wanted to see Ichigo like that ever again.

"Sometimes we need help from others…" Rukia trailed off.

"I guess so."

Rukia frowned as she stared at him. Then, she looked pensive, as if she were thinking about something really hard. Shaking her head, she eventually sighed, as if giving up. Ichigo was curious about her many expressions, but decided to wait until she was ready to speak. Finally, she opened her mouth. "I actually saw you during these past months." Rukia confessed, surprising him. "Always from afar, and I tried to stay hidden as much as possible." She added as an afterthought. "Of course Urahara and even Inoue knew I was here, but they promised not to tell you anything."

Ichigo frowned. "Why?"

"Because I thought it'd be best if you moved on without the constant reminder of how your life used to be." Rukia said honestly.

He gulped, feeling his mouth dry. "Meaning you."

"Yes."

"You never stopped to think that maybe being shut down from everyone made it even harder?" He asked her, almost ironically. Ichigo didn't mean to take his frustrations on her, for his companion wasn't responsible for his troubles, but he couldn't help it. He had felt so alone and lost, not knowing who he was or what he wanted anymore.

Rukia looked at him with a guilty expression on her face. "Yes." She simply said, without giving him any half-hearted excuses. Rukia was always painfully honest, and that was one of the things he liked about her.

Ichigo looked at her intently. There was a wall between them, which had been brewing for seventeen long months. Perhaps it wasn't long for Rukia, who had been around for more than a century, but for him they had been long and painful, enough for him to build walls around him, including the one between Rukia and himself. However, it was crumbling down steadily, he could feel it. It would only take one word from either of them to tumble it down effectively. Ichigo knew he was treading in uncharted territory, but at this point he didn't care anymore. Tonight had been a roller coaster of emotions, and it might as well end on the same note.

"Did you ever stop to think that what I needed was you?" He asked at last, his eyes never straying from Rukia's.

She flinched, but didn't stop looking at him. "Yes. All the time. Because I needed you too." Rukia admitted. The wall tumbled down, leaving them both bare. Nothing was going to hold them back.

"And yet you didn't come…"

"I thought I was doing the right thing. My original plan was to let you be, but I couldn't do it. I was selfish, I admit it, to just come and see you but never show myself to you. I could have easily gotten a gigai, and rang at your door. But I didn't. I didn't want to face you, knowing I had my powers while you didn't. Most of all, I didn't want to see you look so defeated. I couldn't bare it." Rukia explained herself, still feeling guilty. "I didn't even come right away when rumors spread about you siding with the enemy. Then, Urahara came to the Soul Society and explained he had found a way to return your powers. He asked for our help. That was when I decided we'd see each other again."

Ichigo nodded, partially understanding her. "You know, I want to say I wouldn't have cared about it, but the truth is I would have. Not that I would have held it against you for remaining a Shinigami, but I would've been envious of you. Now that I think about it, I don't think I would've liked for you to see like that. Even if you did anyway."

"Tell me something, if I had come and met you, would you have been happy?" Rukia inquired.

"Yes." Ichigo didn't even need to think twice to answer.

She breathed heavily. "Are you mad that I didn't?"

He shook his head. "I'm not mad per se…" He trailed off, not sure if he should say the rest.

"But you're hurt." Rukia answered for him.

"That's one way to put it."

She breathed again, as if gasping for air. "Can you forgive me?"

He exhaled with force, suddenly noticing how close to each other they actually were, their fingertips almost brushing. He inhaled once and twice, and then he finally answered her. "There's nothing to forgive. After all, I owe everything to you. Thanks to you, the rain has stopped once again."

Shock was written all over her face as he said those words. Then she smiled breathtakingly, putting her hand over his. Ichigo entwined their fingers, and gently brushed her hand with his thumb. "I always felt like something was missing from my life, and then you came along and showed me the Shinigami world, where I realized that I belonged to. However, when I lost my powers I went crashing back to the place where I had been before you. I felt as if I was missing a piece of me. I thought that it was my powers. But now that I think about it, it was something else." He said mysteriously. Rukia smiled, understanding what he meant. "These past seventeen months were a bitch, Rukia. I was unhappy every single day. Even when I tried for things to be normal, I never succeeded. So, of course, when Ginjo came along and told me I could get my powers back, I trusted in him like a fool." He snorted at his rash actions. "I should've known better."

"You had no way to know, Ichigo. Don't be so hard on yourself." Rukia said, squeezing his hand.

"Yeah, maybe. I still should've been more wary of him. Anyway, what I want to say is that today, when I was in despair, you came back. No matter what, you always come back. And for that, I'll always be grateful."

Rukia smiled at him. "And I'm always grateful to you for being this unchanging force, making things better around you. Don't ever change, Ichigo."

"That's my line."

Then, they talked and talked and talked about anything and everything at the same time. Rukia retold him her journey in becoming a lieutenant, while Ichigo ended up talking about his jobs and his friends. Eventually, they talked more about their feelings during those seventeen months, and what Ichigo went through with Ginjo. As words flowed between them, the sky changed colors and the sun made its appearance known to the world. Just as the sun was rising, a few words were exchanged which left them flustered.

It was the start of a new day.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for any mistakes. I didn't edit.


	23. Like A Puzzle

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** I'm sorry for not posting anything in months. I was supposed to post something in Christmas time and on Rukia's birthday, but my mind has been completely elsewhere. But hey! At least I'm back. Anyway, I know I said I wasn't going to ever post anything canon-related, but I couldn't help myself to destroy Kubo's "perfect" ending and transforming it into something else. This is also a result of the several adulterous fanfics and fanart out there, which I may or may not have started because of a Tumblr post. Originally this was supposed to be a trash fic, but I decided against it, because it's not really like Ichigo and Rukia. So I opted for angst with a happy ending, because there's no way I'm going to torture Ichigo and Rukia. Hopefully I'll be able to post more one-shots in the near future. Thank you everyone for your support, no matter if you review or just read, you're the ones who inspire me to keep writing for this fandom!

See you!

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **Bleach power:** Thank you very much. I'm glad you read something you had wanted to read too. Writer's block has been horrible, but I'm back for now.

 **Ayeobe:** I feel like we actually needed such a conversation to happen, but it never did. Kubo missed many important conversations and scenes. No, thank you for reviewing. It means a lot to me to read your reviews.

 **Guest 1:** Thank you very much! I'm glad you enjoyed all of the one-shots. It makes me so happy to know you liked them.

 **Guest 2:** Thank you so much!

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Like A Puzzle

 **Summary:** In the end, even with their rough edges, they fit together like puzzle pieces.

* * *

They sat together, side by side, shoulders barely touching, hearts beating at the rhythm of the same drum. It felt like going back in time, to the beginning of it all, when all there was to life was them and the summer breeze of Karakura Town.

"So…" Ichigo started speaking, but paused.

"So?" One breath later, Rukia spoke.

"So what do we do now?" He asked.

The woman shifted by his side. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know." The man said. He looked at his knuckles, his hands, his arms. They used to be so strong. They used to carry the weight of the world. They felt weak now, from all the years of not being used, of not carrying a sword. "Everything's changed." He whispered. The wind carried his words away.

Rukia turned to look at him, to really _look_ at him. His hair was shorter, he was a bit taller, and on his face she could see the amount of time that had passed. Ichigo wasn't a boy anymore. He was a man, a sad man hiding himself in a cocoon of comfort, away from the excitement that had marked the earlier years of his life. That was unlike him, unlike the man whose resolved had changed the ways of a different world to save her. But, if one gazed at his eyes, they'd know that, despite everything, his old flame was still alive.

She smiled at him. "Nothing's changed." Not all if they were still the two of them and the summer breeze of Karakura Town.

"I'm not a kid anymore, Rukia." He retorted.

"I know." She simply said.

"I'm not as powerful as before." He said again.

"I know." She answered back.

"I have more responsibilities. A life right here." He gestured to the trees which surrounded them.

"I know." She said, her eyes taking into the scenery before her.

"I won't be able to fight the whole world for you _again_." Ichigo whispered, sounding defeated.

"I know." Rukia whispered.

They sat in silence once again, the wind messing with their hair. Her hair was much longer now. Sometimes she wished she could cut it back to its original length, to pretend time hadn't passed at all. She was always a coward, though, and she always stopped herself from reaching for the scissors and cutting her hair herself. She hummed. Perhaps this time she'd actually do it once she returned home, if there was even a home she could return to.

Rukia, still staring ahead, spoke once more. "I'm not asking you to give up your life, nor to fight for me." She simply said.

"Then what are you asking for?" Ichigo enquired, his voice sounding tired.

"Nothing at all." She looked at him straight in the eye, her words laced with honesty. "This time, I'm not asking you for anything in return."

They went quiet again. If he closed his eyes, images from a lifetime ago flashed on his mind. Images of a young boy, a girl, a sword, and a monster lurking behind. Back then, she had asked him to take on a herculean task that felt too heavy for him to do, and yet he had done it, for her, he had fought monsters and saved souls, the weight on his shoulders not as heavy. Now, when the task at hand was not as heavy, she was letting him go and return to his normal life. Somehow, it felt the much heavier.

"Then why did you tell me?" He asked. He felt a lump forming on his throat.

Rukia thought about it. Why did she ask him, anyway? She wringed her hands together, and then felt a pulse of energy, of power, deep inside her. Her hands covered her abdomen. She knew what her answer was.

"I thought you had to know." She said, shrugging. "I didn't want you to find out years later from someone else. I wanted to be the first person to tell you. I, too, wanted you to be the first person I'd tell this to."

"And are you sure this is what you want to do?" Ichigo said.

Rukia nodded, her eyes watering at the thought of the other choice that she could take. "I'm sure."

"Even if it's hard?" He asked her.

"Especially because it'll be hard." Her right hand rubbed her belly. "I know it'll be hard, but I'm not afraid."

Ichigo looked at her with an unreadable expression. He took her in, the way she looked now, pale, her raven hair moving with the wind, her white hands clutching her abdomen, and the serene smile she wore. She had never appeared as beautiful to him as in that moment. Completely vulnerable and yet with so much force even the very gods would bow down to her. Rukia was simply radiant.

"Alright." He nodded to himself. Ichigo bit his lip, and then he took her small hand in his, giving it a light squeeze. "If this is what you want, I'll support you."

"Are you sure?" Rukia asked him.

Ichigo dropped her hand, only to pull her against him. His other hand hovered over her belly, feeling the force pulsing from deep within. "I'm sure."

She laughed. Tears finally rolling down her cheeks. "You said you weren't going to fight for me."

"I lied."

Rukia buried her face on the crook of his neck, as Ichigo gently rubbed her back. "It's going to be hard." She suddenly said.

"I know."

"We might be sentenced to some kind of punishment. We might even die." She said again, shivering at the thought.

"I know."

"I won't sacrifice myself again. I won't expect you to sacrifice yourself either. We have so much we still need to do." Her voice trembled as she said each word.

"I know." He said softly.

Rukia turned her head, and her eyes bore into his. She grabbed his chest and pulled him to her. "I won't give you up this time." She whispered, as if afraid to break the spell that surrounded them.

Ichigo smiled for the first time that day. "I know."

As their lips met, the man recalled the situation that had brought them here. Their friendship which had transformed to a love they had to let go. Years of loneliness in loveless marriages. Lives that they wished they weren't living. The memory of the past at the back of their minds. The reunion which had blinded them to any consequences. The passion to which they had succumbed to. Their love, their bond, stronger than ever as their bodies finally became one, and a miracle was produced.

They pulled away. Foreheads resting together. It was just the two of them and the summer breeze of Karakura Town.

"So…" Rukia started speaking but paused.

"So?" One breath later, Ichigo spoke.

"So what do we do now?" She finished her question.

Ichigo rubbed her belly, letting his own reiatsu flow through her. "We figure it out."

They embraced again, watching the leaves from the trees swaying with breeze. Rukia dozed off in his arms, a calm expression on her face. Ichigo smiled. It was like his body was designed to hold hers, and, being together like this, it felt as if no time had passed at all. Ichigo closed his eyes, wondering what the future would bring, as he, too, fell sleep, his head falling on top of Rukia's.

Tomorrow, they would break the news to their spouses. There would be a lot of shouting, tears, and resignation. Ichigo would move out, barely saying goodbye to his son, to make the journey into the unknown. Rukia would acquire a new house, near her brother's mansion, with extra room to spare for their children's visits during the weekend. There would be gossip wherever the two set foot on at first. But never from her ex-husband, who made himself scarce. Soon, the rumors would quiet down, leaving only peace. Ichigo would get a position in her squad, making sure Rukia wasn't exerting herself. They would have a winter wedding, their friends coming all over the world to witness their union. And in the spring, they would bring a new life into this world. The pieces would fall into place, where they should have been from the beginning. Maybe in the next couple of years, they would have another child, a girl this time, to join their son. And they would grow old together, holding each other's hands along the way.

But, as of now, it was but a dream.

"Ichigo?" Rukia said as she stirred.

The man opened his eyes. "Yeah?"

"I'm really happy." She laughed.

"Me too. You make me so happy, Rukia."

As they their lips once more, they realized one important thing. In the end, even with their rough edges, they fit together like puzzle pieces.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for any mistakes, I didn't edit.

Also, who's excited about the Bleach Live Action? My IR senses are tingling.

Forgot to tell you korebb on Tumblr was kind enough to draw some of the scenes of one-shot 18: I'll Spend the Rest of My Life. If any of you want to see her lovely art, message me for the link!


	24. Regrets

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** Hey guys! I just wanted to say how happy and grateful I am for the reception last chapter got! I was a bit unsure of writing something like that, and was even more nervous to post it! I know a lot of you guys don't like adultery fics or angst, hell I avoid them too! But it had to be done! It was a personal challenge and I'm glad you guys enjoyed it so much. In fact, dangerousbride in Tumblr made a fanart inspired by last chapter, so if you want to check it out, you can message me.

Now, I know I said last chapter that I couldn't bring myself to write a trash fic. But I did also said on Tumblr that next time I received a hate message from an IH fan, I'd write an adultery fic. So, last week it finally happened. Someone started sending me several messages about how much IR sucks, even calling me a retard. In exchange, I wrote the following fic. Now, it's actually pure crack. Don't take anything seriously. I wrote for fun and saltyness. I also hadn't written crack in a long time, so it was a good writing exercise. I just hope you all have a good laugh. It was inspired by all adultery fanarts and fanfiction out there which have made me laugh.

Anyway, thank you so much for your continued support! I love you all! Thank you for reading these one-shots, reviewing and putting this fic in your favorites! You guys rock!

Until next time!

* * *

 **Reviews:**

 **Bleach power:** Thank you very much! I'm glad you liked that part!

 **J alvarez:** Thank you very much! I will! Expect more romantic one-shots in the future!

 **Ski mask hoodie:** Thank you so much for reviewing! Here's the next one-shot!

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Regrets

 **Summary:** Ichigo and Rukia go on a double date. It doesn't go as planned.

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The moment the words left Orihime's mouth, Renji knew it was a terrible idea. When Rukia clapped her hands excitedly, Renji started sweating profusely. He knew that he was doomed, however, when Ichigo half-heartedly agreed. The three turned to him, and Renji could only nod while gulping. What could he say? That it was a terrible idea? They would think he was going crazy, and hell, _maybe_ he was. He could picture it. "Hey guys, you know, maybe we _shouldn't_ go." Renji imagined himself saying. "Why the hell not?" Ichigo, who was always waiting for the perfect opportunity to one up him, would say. He'd try to explain things, only for Rukia to snort and dismiss whatever he was saying without stopping to listen to him. It would all be over the moment Orihime would give him her best puppy eyes. Yep. He was done for. It was better to remain silent.

So, that is why after leaving the kids with Ichigo's sisters, Renji found himself walking the streets with his wife and two friends. Unsurprisingly, Ichigo and Rukia were walking ahead of him and Orihime, still bickering about… well, Renji didn't exactly know what they were fighting about at this point ─he lost track when Ichigo pointed out Ichika's drawings were better than Rukia's. To make matters worse, Orihime was walking happily next to him, yapping about how wonderful a time they were going to have in their _double date_.

Yes. His worries were all about a fucking double date. Go on, laugh at him, you unsuspecting reader, but if you knew the nightmare Renji was trapped in, you'd have to agree with him on why going on a double date with his wife and friends wasn't particularly the best idea.

" _Ichigo-kun_." Suddenly, Orihime's sickeningly sweet voice interrupted Renji's inner musings.

The two in front of them stopped their fight at the sound of her voice. Ichigo turned around, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"Where are we going?" She asked, moving her lashes coquettishly.

Renji internally faced palmed. _You're asking that just now?!_

"To this restaurant I know." Ichigo simply said, shrugging for good measure. Then, he turned around to keep walking with Rukia, when they were interrupted again.

"How do you know that restaurant?" She asked innocently. Renji started sweating again.

"I've gone with a friend before." Ichigo answered. Rukia was looking at Ichigo. Renji was pretty sure a smirk was pulling on his wife's mouth.

"What friend?" Orihime asked once more. Renji was starting to doubt these were innocent questions.

Ichigo shrugged. "Ishida. Once."

Renji found himself gulping after listening to those words. _Seriously? Ishida of all people?_

Orihime pursed her lips and then… then she smiled her signature smile, and she even giggled for good mention. "That's so great, Ichigo-kun! I'm glad you and Ishida-kun get along so well!"

The man in question scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess. Anyway, let's keep going."

 _Oh, thank God!_ Renji mentally cheered, and walked with a sprint in his feet. Meanwhile, Ichigo muttered something under his breath, which resulted in Rukia kicking him in the shin.

"What the fuck was that for, Rukia?!"

"Oh, don't act innocent! You know you deserved it!" She said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Bitch!"

"Asshole!"

Renji cursed under his breath. But of course the two would keep fighting until reaching the restaurant. After all, such was his luck. Next to him, Orihime giggled.

"They're so lively, aren't they?" She said.

 _Oi, don't look so happy!_ "Yes. I suppose."

They didn't speak again until they reached the restaurant. Renji gazed at the place. The façade was painted a mahogany color, and it had glass windows overlooking the street. Inside, he could see that the tables and booths were red, and that all waiters were wearing black slacks ─black skirts for waitresses─, white shirts and black ties. It looked cozy and elegant at the same time. Almost homey. And, he thought, not really a place you go to eat with a friend you barely see anymore.

"Welcome!" A woman said the moment they walked into the place. "Table for four?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah. Make it a booth."

Unsurprisingly, Ichigo and Rukia sat right next to each other. Orihime happily sat in front of her husband, while Renji sat next to her. Whatever disagreement they were currently having shifted to talking about the food the place served.

"You really need to try the _Gyudon_. It's really good!" Ichigo told everyone as they scanned the menus.

"The _Udon_ noodles are excellent!" Rukia said, smiling right at Renji.

It took everything in his power not to start choking on air after that admission. He turned to look at Orihime as inconspicuously as he could. However, the young woman seemed unfazed, still looking at the menu she had in her hands.

"How about the curry?" Orihime asked. "Have you tried it yet, Ichigo-kun?"

"Nah. When I came here, I wasn't in the mood for curry." He said, and then sneaked a glance to Rukia. The woman had a devilish smile on her face.

"So you weren't in the mood for that?" She smirked.

Ichigo returned the smirk. "Oh, no. I was in the mood for something _else_."

Renji blanched in his seat. _Are you serious?!_ In a panic, he turned to look at Orihime again, this time more directly. She looked as oblivious as ever.

"I think I'm going to order it." Orihime said. "What about you, Abarai-kun?"

The attention suddenly turned to him. "Err… I'm not sure yet." He stuttered, silently cursing himself.

"Give the _Udon_ a try." Rukia told him, smiling sweetly at him.

"No. I think Renji's in the mood for _chicken_ , don't you think?" Ichigo grinned, and then yelped suddenly.

"Dear, are you okay?" His wife asked him.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." Ichigo said, and then growled something at Rukia who merely laughed.

Renji paled. _What the hell?_

"So, Renji, what's it gonna be?" His wife asked him again.

He coughed. "Ramen seems nice." Rukia nodded.

Before anyone could comment further, their waitress arrived. "Are you ready to order?"

Ichigo answered first. "Yes. We will be having _Udon_ noodles, _yakimeshi_ , grilled chicken, and matcha tea please." Ichigo said, motioning to Rukia and himself.

The waitress smiled at them. "What about for you and your wife, sir?" She said, turning to Renji.

"Ammm." He stuttered again, wondering if the woman next to him was going to correct the waitress. To his surprise, she nodded and started giving her order. "I will be having your beef curry please."

"Sure thing."

"Can you add vanilla ice cream and strawberry jam to it?" She added, making everyone in the table nauseous.

The waitress blinked. "I'm afraid not. But you can order the ice cream as dessert."

She looked disappointed but nodded. "Ah, and please bring me an orange juice."

The waitress nodded and looked at Renji expectantly. "Beef ramen for me." She wrote it down. "And beer." He added as an afterthought. He needed at least a bit of alcohol in his system to go through this awful date.

After the waitress left, they started talking again. Though this time, finally both Renji and Orihime were included in whatever the other two were conversing about. For once, it all felt nice. Orihime told an anecdote about something that had happened in the market a week before, and they all chuckled. Next, Ichigo started telling them about an annoying client who kept visiting the clinic claiming he had a skin condition, when in reality he was suffering from wrinkles. Rukia then explained her very elaborate plan to finally get Kiyone and Sentarou together. Renji found himself laughing for the first time with his wife and friends. It was unlike the other times they had gotten together to chat over the years. Although, that sense of peace didn't last long, for when Renji was retelling a joke Byakuya had finally managed to deliver correctly during training once, he heard it. It was a low sound. He would have missed it if his hearing wasn't an ability he relied on when fighting hollows. He paused, and then shook his head. Renji kept talking, hoping it had been his imagination, but no, there it was again. Low. Husky. Almost like a growl. His eyes zeroed on Rukia's face. She was smiling at him, encouraging to continue his tale. Then his eyes moved to Ichigo. He wouldn't have noticed anything if he hadn't known what to look for. His cheeks were slightly flushed. His jaw clenched. And his eyes… They had an intense look on them. _Oh fuck no!_

"Ichigo?" He suddenly said.

"Hmm?" The man simply muttered.

"Are you okay?" Renji asked.

"Oh… yeah. I'm fine. Totally." Ichigo blurted out. Beside him, Rukia snickered.

"You sure?" Renji asked again, his eyes watching as Rukia's hand kept disappearing beneath the table. Ichigo's cheeks became even redder, and he coughed.

"Yeah, Ichigo, are you sure?" Rukia asked with a mocking smile on her face. Renji could see her hand moving back and forth from where we was sitting.

The man rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm good. What were you saying?"

Renji opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Orihime's loud squeal. "Look, our food's here!"

Indeed, their food had arrived. The waitress started serving them their plates, while warning them they were hot. The interruption gave Renji a few minutes to breathe. Turning to Orihime, he could tell she was distracted again, excitedly telling them how tastier the curry would have been if she had been able to add ice cream on top ─oh well, sugar would have to do for now. Renji pushed down the bile which was threatening to come out from his mouth. Then, he looked towards Ichigo, who was back to normal. Renji sighed happily, and started eating with gusto. He could finally relax! Of course, that lasted but two seconds when he heard a very soft mewl, one he could have recognized anywhere. Lifting his head, his eyes found his wife, whose skin was now turning red. Also, Ichigo's left hand was notoriously absent from the table. _Oh fuck me!_

Trying to ignore them, Renji dove right into his food. It was surprisingly good. He took a huge gulp of beer when the noise became particularly louder. Thankfully, Orihime remained none-the-wiser, thoroughly enjoying her curry. All conversation stopped too. It was all good, though. Renji didn't want to talk or divert the awkwardness anymore. He was getting tired. As they ate, a sudden beeping sound distracted them from their activities. Orihime blinked and then she reached for her purse, from which she took her cellphone out. She tapped something, next another beep could be heard, and she tapped again.

"Who's that, Orihime?" Rukia asked her. Both her hands were finally on the table.

"Ah, it's just Yuzu-chan!" The other woman said happily. "She was asking me if it's okay for the kids to have cookies for dessert. I told her it was, hope it's alright with you, Rukia-san."

"Yeah, it is. Ichika doesn't get the chance to eat cookies often back home."

"Great!" Orihime said, a little too quickly if you asked Renji, but she had always been a bit weird anyway.

They resumed their eating, although Rukia shuffled a bit in her seat. In the background, more beeping could be heard. Renji sighed. _Well, it could be worse_. He thought as he slurped his ramen. For instance, a year before they had all gone to the summer festival. It had been nice at first, until Renji got distracted buying Ichika _takoyaki_. When he turned around, he couldn't even find his daughter. Looking around, she found her playing with Kazui and Ichigo's dad. However, neither Rukia nor the other couple were anywhere. He walked around, trying to see if he could find them. Just before the fireworks started, Orihime arrived from behind a food stand, claiming she had gotten lost. Together, they walked to where Isshin and the kids were sitting. Around fifteen minutes later, Ichigo and Rukia appeared, clearly disheveled, saying they had been looking everywhere for them.

That wasn't even the worst, though.

Just before Ichigo and Orihime had gotten married, the four of them had gone to this classy restaurant ─one that the captain would have certainly approved of and which was coincidentally Ishida-recommended. Orihime said she was going to be late, for she was taking care of something. So, that left him alone with his wife and friend. As they waited for their food, Renji went to take a very important call. When he came back, only Ichigo was sitting there, drinking from his glass of wine. "Rukia's in the restroom." He informed him. Renji nodded and attempted to talk with his friend, however Ichigo was completely distracted, answering with monosyllables. Renji enquired if he was nervous about the wedding, which got him a nod. As they waited for their girls, Renji briefly heard something which sounded like sucking. He raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. Thinking he had had enough, he went to the restroom, thinking he'd find Rukia there. When he came back, Rukia was already at the table, her cheeks rosy. Before he could ask her what had happened, Orihime arrived, looking more radiant than ever.

And don't even get Renji started on last week! A bunch of rookies had given him a hard time during training, Captain Kuchiki had made him redo all of his paperwork before Hisagi could recollect it, the Women Shinigami Association had made more money than them during their fundraising, as Nanao had constantly reminded them during the meeting they held, and Ichika had thrown a temper tantrum, questioning his authority as a father. The only thing he had wanted was to spend some quality time with his wife, but when he arrived at her office, he noticed that all of her paperwork was thrown around the room, and her robes were very much in disarrayed. Also, Ichigo was there, sitting rather innocently while drinking tea. Renji felt his eye twitching just by remembering it.

He finished his beer and ordered another, while the other three ordered ice cream. They started talking once again, sharing some of their woes of parenthood. Apparently, Kazui liked to sneak out of his house and wander around town. Ironically, Ichika had been disappearing from home too. Renji didn't stop to think what that could mean, instead he focused on finishing his pint of beer.

"I'm going to the restroom." He announced as he stood up. Renji narrowed his eyes at Ichigo. He sure hoped that he wouldn't pull a stunt while Orihime was there.

 _They're behaving better than normal_. Renji thought as he did his business. Normally, by this point the two of them would have disappeared somewhere, and wouldn't be back for a few hours. He didn't know how Orihime hadn't caught them yet. They weren't careful at all. Maybe she was just oblivious, or trusted Ichigo way too much. _Whatever_. He thought. The date was almost over after all.

Just when he was about to exit the stall, he heard the telling sound of clothes shuffling and mouths slamming against each other. Next thing he knew, the stall right beside his own opened, the two people making out went in, and slammed the door shut. He waited for a few seconds, not knowing what to do. It was enough time for the people next to him to start undressing, or so he assumed by the soft thud of clothes hitting the floor. Moaning was quickly heard, and the sound of flesh slapping against flesh. He felt sick.

 _I'm fucking pissed!_

Renji could take a lot of bullshit. He could take the fact that his wife hadn't really been in love with him when they got married. He could take the knowledge that their first few nights together were utter shit, and the rest never improved to the point that after Ichika was born, their sexual life was non-existent. He could take the fact that the first time he had seen Rukia truly glow was after one of Ichigo's visits to Soul Society (she had limped for a week after that). He could take knowing that Ichigo had been late to his very own wedding because he had spent "quality time" with Rukia on the room he was supposedly getting ready at. He could take the fact that Rukia had been more excited to see Ichigo again than for her own promotion to captain, (and god did that _showed_ when they went to Karakura). He could take having seen Ichigo kiss Rukia that one time in his house, when no one was paying attention. He could take going to restaurants with them knowing what they did under the table. He could take knowing Rukia regularly sneaked to Karakura just to see Ichigo. He could take finding his bed sheets a total mess after arriving home late, covered in a sticky substance he rather not name. He could take listening to things he really shouldn't have as he passed by Ichigo's former room at his parent's house one day when he came to pick up Ichika and Rukia. He could take listening to them as he was watching TV on the other room. He could take Rukia kissing him while tasting like another man. He could take the two of them using their children as an excuse to see each other. He could take knowing Kazui's and Ichika's rooms had long since been defiled. He could take naming his own _daughter_ after Ichigo when Rukia had suggested it. Fuck. Renji could take knowing that his _wife_ and his _best friend_ had been fucking around behind his back for years without seeming to end or get tired with each other. Worse, he could take the fact that they had been deeply in love all this time and their marriages were mistakes. The worst. He could take covering for them, least Orihime were to find she had been cheated on since way before she had even gotten married to Ichigo. But what he could have never been able to take, at all, was having the two of them fucking while he was inside the neighboring stall taking a dump! There was such things as decency and respect, thank you very much!

Fuming, he exited the restroom, uncaring if the other two had heard him or not. As he angrily stomped towards the booth, while muttering underneath his breath about backstabbing friends and cuckolding, he didn't notice that the very own people he had been cursing were still sitting on the booth, talking rather amicably. As his eyes noticed them, he stopped dead on his tracks. _Wait… What the actual fuck?_ How could this have been?! He had just left them behind, and there was no way in hell they would have gotten there before he did, taking into account they were in the middle of their gross lovemaking.

"Renji, are you okay?" Rukia asked after a few minutes of watching Renji gape at them.

"What… I mean… _huh_?" He said, ever so eloquently.

"Dude, are you having an aneurysm?" Ichigo asked, suddenly standing up.

"What?! No, no! I'm fine!" He said quickly. Just then, he realized there was one person missing. "Where's Orihime?"

"She went to the restroom not long after you left too. I thought you might run into each other." Ichigo answered, shrugging in indifference.

Okay. Now nothing made any sense! If Ichigo and Rukia had been here all this time, then who the fuck was having sex in the men's restroom?! His mind then went blank. Orihime went to the restroom too. The woman mewling in the restroom had a very high pitched voice now that he thought about it, one that Rukia didn't have. Orihime had also been texting a lot when they were eating.

 _Oh fuck!_

As his mind was rebooting, Ichigo and Rukia started bickering again, this time the subject was whether or not Renji was feeling well. Rukia kept saying her husband was fine, while Ichigo said she had probably already tired him with her shit. That got him a kick in the sheen.

"Guys, look who I found on the entrance?" Orihime suddenly said. Renji turned to look at her. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips red and swollen, but she was smiling radiantly.

"Ishida." Ichigo acknowledged the man next to his wife.

"What are you doing here?" Renji blurted out before he could stop himself. Rukia scolded him for being rude.

"I wanted to grab something to eat." The man answered matter-of-factly.

"And I was telling Ishida-kun that he should try the curry." Orihime said.

"That sounds nice. I think I will." Ishida said and the woman next to him beamed at him.

Ishida talked to them for a few minutes, before he left to order his food. Orihime sat down next to Renji, still speaking about how nice it had been to run into Ishida, and how unjust it was that they hardly saw him anymore. Rukia agreed with her, while Ichigo simply nodded. Renji remained quiet. Not long after, they paid for their food and left the establishment. As they walked home, Ichigo and Rukia went ahead, bickering about one thing or another, before laughing and taking quietly amongst themselves. Renji walked behind them, Orihime next to him like before. However, this time she wasn't talking, she merely looked ahead, a soft smile gracing her lips. That was all for the better, Renji thought. He wasn't in the mood for talking. Once home, they talked with their kids about what they had done that day. Then, they quickly said their goodbyes, after all the following day was busy for all of the adults. Opening the senkaimon, Renji looked at his friends once more. Orihime waved at them. Ichigo said something to Rukia, which made her smile. Renji shook his head as Ichika whispered something into Kazui's ear, she then trotted happily towards her dad. When they are all set, they disappeared into the gate.

The events of the day flashed into Renji's eyes as he prepared himself to sleep. Ichika was already asleep, and Rukia was taking a shower. He frowned, then sighed. The following morning, he asked Ichika if she had enjoyed the cookies Yuzu had given her. The girl had frowned. Turns out, she and Kazui hadn't eaten cookies but chocolate ice cream. Renji felt like laughing. In fact, he did, ignoring the way his daughter looked as if he had lost his mind. It was all good, though. There was a reason, after all, why Ishida seemed lost in what to order in a restaurant he had already eaten at. Orihime's texting hadn't gone unnoticed either.

Man, Captain Kuchiki was _not_ gonna believe it!

* * *

 **A/N:** So, yeah, poor Renji! I swear I love him even though I always make him suffer in my writing. And, you can either see it as Renji and Byakuya being in a relationship or not. That's up to you. Also, I couldn't stop myself from adding some IshiHime, so there's that.

I just want to make it clear I do not support cheating in any form for any reason. I was just having a bit of fun!


	25. What I Want Most

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** Long time no see, guys! Sorry about that, but I've been busy studying and other fandoms have sucked my creativity and directed it to other works. Nevrr fear, because these one-shot dumpster is still in my mind always. I'm proud to say I will start working on IchiRuki Month next week. Will I participate in all prompts? Probably not. I still haven't finished writing two from last year, so there's that. But I will try to write for most of them. Probably they will be less ambitious than last year, mainly because I found I quickly burnt out from writing long one-shots every day. I also want to tell you I've started working on "Death In The Cabaret Part II" finally! Hope you're still interested. A super smutty one-shot is also on the way, though I'm not sure if I'll publish it here. It will be most likely be posted on Tumblr. However, I will tell you beforehand.

I also want to thank you for your reviews last chapter! Glad you enjoyed it even with all the crack!

On today's business, well, it's Ichigo's birthday, so I couldn't help it and wrote this one-shot. It was requested by darkenedsun21 on Tumblr. Hope you all enjoy it!

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 **Reviews**

 **Guest:** Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!

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What I Want Most

 **Summary:** After months of not seeing each other, Rukia visits Ichigo on his birthday.

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Rukia woke up feeling different. It wasn't a _bad_ different, like the sense of dread that sometimes would accompany her in mornings after a nightmare. It was just _different_. Like the feeling that would overcome you when you knew something was about to happen. One glance at the calendar gave her the answer she had been looking for. Today wasn't just any ordinary day. It was July 15th. A very special day. She instantly got up, neatly folding her futon and stalking it away. She washed her face, all drowsiness disappearing from her eyes. She dressed in her uniform, erasing any wrinkles with her hands. Her gloves were next. She inspected them before putting them on, hoping there were no stains on the white fabric. She gently brushed her short hair. Finally, she strapped on her lieutenant badge on her arm. One last look at the mirror told her she was ready to face the day.

With a spring on her step, Rukia made her way to the dining room, where her brother was already waiting for her.

"Good morning, nii-sama." She greeted him, sitting down next to him.

Ever impassive, Byakuya looked at her. "Good morning, Rukia." He greeted her. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did, thank you." She answered right away, already putting food on her plate. "What about you? Did you sleep well, nii-sama?"

The man nodded. "I did."

They didn't say anything else, as was their usual routine. It was a good routine. Neither was particularly chatty. There was no reason to feel in the silences which weren't awkward any longer. However, there was something different to their meal. Rukia couldn't quite pinpoint the source pf this sensation. Looking up, she found it by the way Byakuya kept staring at her.

"Is something the matter?" She asked, fearing she had done something wrong. Their close relationship was a new development, after all. Only last year they had been basically strangers. A lot of things had changed.

He didn't answer her right away. Instead, he looked right in her eyes, his gaze deep. "Are you sure you feel well?" He asked her instead.

Rukia felt touched that her brother was worried about her. She felt a warmth spread in her chest. "I am feeling well, nii-sama." She said, smiling at him. There was no reason to worry him.

Byakuya nodded and then they went back to eating in silence.

Once breakfast had ended, the siblings made their way to their respective squads together. Another change that had come to pass in recent times. It was a nice walk, but sooner than later, they had to part ways, each turning to a different direction. Rukia walked calmly. She was early. She always was. Although she was sure there already was something going on in the barracks. Nothing could ever be peaceful with her squad mates. They weren't as rowdy as squad 11, but nevertheless, Kiyone and Sentarou were always stuck in one shenanigan after another. Rukia snorted. She wondered with what kind of silliness they would greet her today.

As she entered the barracks, she greeted the other Shinigami, who saluted her when they saw her. Rukia couldn't believe that there had been a time where she had felt out of place in her own squad. Today everything was different altogether. It made her feel happy. As she neared her office, her smile widened. She could already hear the tow third-seats arguing loudly. She opened the door as quietly as she could, only to find both having a shouting match.

"Why did you have to buy strawberries?! I told you I wanted peaches!" Kiyone exclaimed.

"What's wrong with strawberries?!" Sentarou countered. "They're better than strawberries!"

"First of all, it's peach season, you idiot!" The woman said, hitting Sentarou on the hand. "Second of all, you know _why_ strawberries are a bad idea!"

"I don't why─!" He started saying until realization dawned on him. "Oh."

"Yes, oh!" Kiyone said, hitting him on the head once more.

Rukia chose that moment to make her presence known by coughing.

"Fukutaichou!" Both third seats exclaimed, turning bright red.

"He/she started it!" They said at the same time, pointing fingers at each other.

"Stop copying me!" They added.

Rukia burst out laughing. The two of them were always fun to be around. "Why don't you tell me what's going on?"

"Do you want some strawberries? I brought them myself!" Sentarou interjected, presenting her with the strawberry bowl he was carrying. Next to him, Kiyone elbowed him in the ribs. "Ow!" He exclaimed.

"What Sentarou meant to say," She said, an evil smile on her face, "was that we wanted to give you peaches, but someone," she added, glaring at Sentarou, "brought strawberries instead."

The lieutenant didn't answer. Instead, she picked one of the strawberries, the biggest one, and bit it. A smile instantly bloomed on her face. "They're very good! Thank you so much!"

"See, Kiyone, she liked them!"

"Shut up!"

Feeling that a new argument was brewing, Rukia interrupted them. "Has the Captain arrived yet?"

"Yes! He's in the office."

She nodded and went straight to her captain. Ukitake was sitting down, looking at some papers.

"Oh, Kuchiki, good morning!" He greeted her. His usual kind smile in place.

"Good morning, Captain!" she said, sitting down next to him.

"I'm glad that you're finally here. I wanted to go over some papers with you."

Together, they looked over the results of the training in their squad. Then, they started chatting amicably over some tea.

"By the way, Kuchiki, everything is ready for today." Ukitake said.

"That's great, Captain, thank you!" Rukia answered, beaming at him.

"It was no problem. Stay for as long as you would like." He told her, giving her a sympathetic smile.

She nodded and, shortly after, left to attend to her other duties.

By lunch time, she went to her usual spot in the barracks, next to the river, where Kaien-dono used to take her, oh so long ago. Rukia closed her eyes, enjoying the nice breeze. Since it was summer already, the temperature had gone up and her office felt stuffy. Nothing better than eating outside in this weather, what with the gentle breeze which surrounded her. Soon, she felt a presence next to her. Opening her eyes, she found just the person she had been waiting for.

"Hello, Renji." She said as the man sat down next to him.

"Took me like twenty minutes to find you." He grumbled. "My food better be still hot."

Rukia snorted. "Stop acting like a baby and eat."

Together, the childhood friends started eating and sharing funny anecdotes that had happened in the time they hadn't seen each other. They both made it a point to see each other at least once every three days, but since Soul Society was always bustling with lively events, there was always a lot they had to share. Once Rukia was done telling Renji about the argument with the strawberries that Kiyone and Sentarou had had that morning, he looked at her with a serious expression on his face.

"And you weren't bothered?" He asked her, brows furrowing.

She raised an eyebrow "Why would I be bother by something like that?" The way he glared at her told her the answer. Sighing, she spoke. "I'm fine, Renji, really."

He didn't look convinced but decided not to keep pressing on the matter. "If you say so." He said, and then he stood up. "Rukia." He called her.

"Yeah?"

"Good luck today." Renji told her.

She just shook her head. "I don't need it." She answered, grinning at him.

Renji didn't say anything more, waving goodbye, he left to his barracks.

* * *

This was it. Rukia thought as she stared at the Seikamon. Captain Ukitake stood next to her, for he was the one who had opened the gate for her.

"Well, Urahara-san should be waiting for you on the other side." He told her. "And he should open it for you after you're done."

Rukia nodded. "Thank you, for everything."

The older man smiled down at her. "Go on, Kuchiki. Don't worry about anything."

Nodding, she did as she was told, and started running down the tunnel. Sooner than she had expected, she saw the light at the end, and in the blink of an eye she was on the street. She had to focus her eyesight. Although it was getting dark outside already, the light coming from the lampposts was bright. Her feet touched the cobblestone and she finally saw the person standing next to her.

"Good afternoon, Kuchiki-san." Urahara greeted her. He didn't look any different than from the last time she had seen him. He was in his usual clothing, green hat still in place as was the mysterious smile he always wore.

"Afternoon, Urahara." She said. "Thanks for receiving me."

He waved his hand. "Nonsense. It's our usual arrangement, isn't it?"

Rukia simply nodded, starting to look around.

"You know, I've been working on a new type of gigai. If you could only accompany to my shop, you can try it on and then go to your destination." He said, gesturing towards the direction of his establishment.

She shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't lose any more time."

"Are you sure?" Urahara asked her, his deep eyes boring in hers.

"You know I can't." She said sadly, eyes downcast.

"Very well. Then, I'll leave. You already know the way to where you're going, so I'm no longer needed. Come look for me after you're done." He said, already turning away to leave.

"I will. Thanks again!"

The man nodded and walked away, only to stop on his tracks. "Oh, and please greet Kurosaki-san for me!" With one last wave, he was gone.

Rukia stood there for a couple of seconds, feelings bubbling inside that she pushed back. Then, she looked at her surroundings. She instantly recognized the place. She had landed only a few blocks away from her destination. She'd be there in then minutes if she walked, but she could cut the time in more than half if she leaped over the houses' roofs. Smiling to herself, Rukia started jumping around. The moon was already coming up, and with it came Rukia's favorite time of the day. She loved how the sky would turn orange, then red, only to give into dark blue, which in turn turned to black. It was like seeing someone paint in real time. The stars were always something to look forward to. The way they would sparkle. In Karakura, not only the stars would sparkle, but also the lights from buildings and lampposts. It was a different night scene. But it was a _good_ scene.

In the blink of an eye she was standing in front of a house which read proudly "Karakura Clinic." A wave of nostalgia invaded Rukia. A year ago, this was the place she had called home. The place where she could go in and out freely. The place where she had been welcomed with open arms. And it was just the place the person she had wanted to see the most was inside. Taking deep breaths, Rukia prepared herself for the inevitable. She walked to the door and went through it. Being a spirit had its perks. She had no form in the human world. Once inside, her eyes trailed the living room. Nothing had changed except for the confetti that had been thrown on the ground, and the party hats that lay on the couch. She laughed a little, imagining the family that lived there going all out, being the rambunctious bunch they always had been. Moving to the kitchen, she noticed that there was a half-eaten chocolate cake on the table, waiting to be eaten. It stared at her mockingly, as if daring her to eat a piece. Rukia shook her head, eyes traveling and setting on the eyes that stared at her from the poster. The woman wore a kind smile, but Rukia felt as if she was being judged by her.

As the lights were off, Rukia guessed the people that lived there had all gone to their rooms. It wasn't that late, as shown by the clock. But it was after dinner. They were all probably tired from their daily activities. She gently walked up the stairs, trying to not make a sound. Then hall was disserted, which was good for Rukia. She didn't want any witnesses for this. Then, she walked up to the door which had a sign with the number 15 on it. Rukia marveled at how easy it had been once to just walk up to the door, uncaring if she was seen or yelled at. That room had been her room too. Where she had slept, eaten, and even done homework in. All her free time had been spent between its four walls. That was her home. Braving herself, she went in, feeling herself shiver in anticipation.

To be perfectly honest, Rukia hadn't known what to expect when she finally went in. Whatever it was, it wasn't the scene that greeted her. The lights were deemed. It wasn't so dark that she couldn't see, but it was dark enough to provide an intimate atmosphere to the room. Her eyes quickly scanned the details of the room, looking for anything that was amiss. There was gift wrap neatly placed on the trash can, as if someone had recently opened up presents. There was a school bag, which had been hastily thrown on the floor. And there, sitting on the floor with his back to the closet, was Kurosaki Ichigo, reduced to a crying mess. Rukia instantly felt as if someone had made a whole through her stomach. Of all things, she wasn't expecting to see her friend in such a state. She had only seen him cry once, and even then there was a fury to his laments. Now there was no anger, but an unabashed sadness that seeped her to the core. There was no trace of the once proud Substitute Shinigami there, but a human boy who had his head between his arms, body shaking with each sob. Rukia felt like joining him in the ground and crying herself. But she knew she couldn't. Someone had to be strong for both of them. Gently, she walked towards him, and sat down next to him.

"You know," she started saying. "I love what you've done with the place. The bed facing in the opposite direction gives the room a nice touch." She joked. Ichigo, as expected, didn't say anything, he just continued crying. She sighed loudly, and buried her face in her hand. "I had a million things I wanted to tell you, but they all flew out of the window the moment I saw you." She said, sounding almost tired. "It really threw me off. The other times I've been here, you've seemed fine." She muttered, remembering the few times she had visited over the months they hadn't seen each other. Rukia had told him she would visit him even if he couldn't see her, and true to her word she had come more than once. "Nii-sama and Renji didn't want me to come." She continued talking. She never knew why she did so, since he couldn't hear her, but it felt good, as if she was meant to do it. "They never told me not to, but I could see in their eyes they were worried. Kiyone and Sentarou tried to cheer me up today. They did but not in the way they had expected." Rukia chuckled as she remembered that morning's events. "Everybody, even my own squad, seems to walk on eggshells when they talk to me. As if they're expecting to say something that could upset me. That upsets me more." She confessed. "Only Ukitake-taichou and Urahara-san seem supportive. But they're worried. I guess about both of us." Rukia stopped talking and looked at Ichigo, who kept crying. "Is it the same for you? Is everyone trying to make you feel better doing all the wrong things? Is that why you're crying?" They were obviously rhetorical questions. She already knew the answers.

She let a few moments passed, memories lived in that same room rushed to her, making Rukia feel as if she was drowning. In a second, the damp broke and tears spilled down her face. She had promised herself she wouldn't cry, and yet, here she was, crying like a little girl. Next to her, Ichigo cried harder, almost choking himself with the way she was sobbing. The scene broke her heart and, uncaring of anything, she reached towards him and wrapped her arms around his body. She hoped against hope that he would be able to feel her warmth, but not such thing happened for he kept sobbing, his tears dampening her clothes.

"Please don't cry, Ichigo." She muttered as she placed her head on the crook of his neck. "I never wanted for you to feel like this. I wanted you to feel happy, to be with your family and friends, eating cake and opening presents. Most of all, I wanted to be here and join you. I wanted to eat cake with you. I wanted to buy you a present and give it to you. I wanted to make you a banner with my drawings, and listen to you complain about how much I suck at drawing. I wanted to laugh with you. I wanted to pester you. I wanted just to be with you." She confessed, holding him tighter. "But I know it's not possible. Even being here it's against the Captain Commander's rules, but I was given a free pass." Then she looked up, staring at his brown eyes. Even with tears streaming down from them, they were as beautiful as she remembered. "Ichigo, I know that you can't hear me but listen to me. You will be fine. You will be more than fine, you hear me? You'll find something that keeps you going. You'll keep moving forward. You will be happy. When you think about Shinigami, about _me_ , you'll remember us fondly, okay? You won't hurt anymore. And, when the time comes to meet each other again, I'll be right there waiting for you, alright? So, don't cry anymore! You're not alone."

As if her words were magic, Ichigo soon stopped sobbing, crying every once in a while until his tears were dried. Standing up, he opened his drawer and pulled out a piece of paper. Curious, Rukia went over to see what he was looking at so fondly. It was one of the drawings she had made long ago, telling him to get ready for training. She chuckled, tears threating to fall down her cheeks again. "Idiot." She muttered. "I miss you too." She told him, hand squeezing his arm to let him know she was there. Her eyes then strayed to his clock. It was already time to go. With a sigh, Rukia looked around the room, memorizing everything. Then she looked at Ichigo. She noticed how tall he had gotten. She noticed the way his hair had grown longer, and how his face looked sharper. He was quickly becoming a man. A man she was proud of.

Standing on her toes, Rukia reached out to whisper in his ear. "Happy birthday, Ichigo." Then, in a split-second decision, she kissed his cheek, lips lingering on his skin, enjoying his warmth. Next, she jumped on his bed and then straight out of the window. She quickly wiped off her tears before meeting Urahara, but the oppression she had felt was gone. Even if Ichigo had looked miserable, by the end he had looked comforted, as if her words had somehow reached him. Rukia decided that it didn't matter if they could see each other tomorrow or in a hundred years, she would always be waiting for him, most likely with a kick, and then she would be able to tell him everything she had wanted to share with him in these past months. Then, her words would be finally able to reach him.

Unknown to her, Ichigo stood in the middle of his room, eyes wide as he touched his cheek. He could have sworn that he felt something warm pressing on it.

* * *

 _15 years later_

Rukia woke up feeling different. It wasn't a _bad_ different. It was a _good_ feeling. Like the feeling you get when it starts to snow. One glance at the calendar gave her the answer she had been looking for. Today wasn't just any ordinary day. It was July 15th. A very special day. Rolling over, she turned to look at her companion, who was still fast asleep. Grinning, she instantly got up, careful of not waking him up. She washed her face, all drowsiness disappearing from her eyes. She put on a violet yukata which complimented her eyes. She gently brushed her long hair, putting a hairpin on it. Once she was satisfied, she went out of her room.

Some moments later, Rukia came back carrying a plate with a big chocolate cake, behind her, two children entered the room. Excitedly, they jumped on the man that was sleeping on the bed, and began moving him to wake up. Ichigo soon opened his eyes, finding his two children calling him to wake up.

"Alright, alright, I'm up!" He said, sitting on the futon, and gathering his kids in his two arms.

"Happy birthday, daddy!" They both said happily.

"Happy birthday, Ichigo!" Rukia congratulated him next, leaning down to kiss his cheek. Her husband grinned at her and then kissed her on the lips.

"Thank you, Rukia." He said, the smile never leaving his face, and then he looked at the plate on her arms. "Is that for me?"

"Mommy made it for you, daddy!" Mamoru told him. "And Hikari and I helped!" The little girl nodded, her black hair bouncing with each nod.

"Then I bet it's the best cake in the world." He proclaimed, taking the cake from Rukia's arms, and pulling her down to him.

Rukia chuckled and immediately smiled when Ichigo's hand started rubbing her baby bump. She couldn't help but remember a time when none of this had seemed to be possible, but now was their reality. Pushing those thoughts aside, she ate cake with her family, feeling incredibly happy when she noticed Ichigo's smile had never left his face.

It was a good day, after all.

* * *

 **A/N:** Yes, the ending was shamelessly based on another IR fic I wrote for Ichigo's birthday years ago for the Spanish-speaking fandom. And it's also part of my alternate timeline fics, around 4 years or so after the events of "Death & Strawberry."

Anyone else read "Burn The Witch"?


	26. Warm By the Beach

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** Yo, I'm back with more IR goodness! Since IR Month 2018 is almost here, I decided to make haste and finish the last two prompts of last year's IR Month. This prompt gave me a headache. It's the main reason why I didn't finish in time. Back then, I didn't want to put the one-shots out of order, so I decided not to work on the last prompt. Terrible mistake. I ended up with a huge writer's block and for almost a year I've been trying to think of an interesting plot. At the end, I came up with the following story. Hope you guys enjoy it! Soon I'll post the last prompt and then, IR Month, baby!

Thanks again for your continous support, you guys rock!

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **Bleach Power:** Glad you liked it! Thank you so much for your review!

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Warm By the Beach

 **Prompt:** Honeymoon Spread

 **Summary:** Ichigo. Rukia. And the beach.

* * *

Ichigo sighed in exasperation. When his father had called him telling him he had tickets to go to the beach, he had thought they were all going to Okinawa to have a nice family vacation. When Isshin had asked him to ask Rukia to tag along, Ichigo hadn't thought much about it. They had been dating for four years after all, and Rukia had been invited to all family excursions ever since. So, naturally, he had asked her. His girlfriend had been worried at first. With Captain Ukitake gone, it was up to Rukia to lead Squad 13. Thankfully, Kiyone and Sentarou had come to the rescue. With their squad taken care of, both Shinigami had left work on a Thursday night and went straight to Karakura.

He really should have known something was amiss when they arrived home, and he noticed his sisters were nowhere to be found. Ichigo should have known his father was being fishy when he assured them everything was ready for the next day. He should have noticed by the way goatchin insisted in them going to sleep early that night. And he really should have known there was an ulterior motive to their vacations when Isshin left them at the airport, with their bags and IDs, and disappeared from sight.

Great, just great.

It was good that Rukia was one to go with the flow. She didn't even blink when Isshin left them by themselves. Instead she took a look at the tickets and told Ichigo there were only two hours left for their flight. They documented their bags and had something to eat before getting on their two and a half flight. Once in Okinawa, they went to the hotel Isshin had reserved for them. That was when Ichigo finally noticed something was completely out of place. The room only had one bed, as he had expected. What was weird was that the whole bed was covered in rose petals. There were two wine bottles waiting for them at the only table in the room. There were heart-shaped pillows on the bed as well. Something in Ichigo clicked then, and he realized with horror they were in a honeymoon suit.

Once again, either Rukia was oblivious or she didn't care, for she simply thanked the bell boy for his help. Then, she began exploring the room. The closet was big enough for their clothes, she announced with a grin. The bathroom had a tub, and they had left behind around four towels for them to use. There was a mini fridge filled with soda, water bottles and peanuts ─Ichigo had to warn her not to eat anything, otherwise they would be charged for them. Finally, she went to the balcony, from where she called Ichigo excitedly.

"Look! The view is beautiful!"

It really was. You could see the ocean from there, and the beach below. It was such a peaceful sight. But that didn't change the fact they were in a room meant for newlyweds. Ichigo's mind was constantly setting off alarms which said _abort abort abort_.

Suddenly, a loud beeping noise interrupted Ichigo's panic attack.

"It's your father." Rukia said, looking at her cellphone. "He says we look inside our bags."

Ichigo felt a cold shiver run down his back.

His father had packed the bags for them. Last night he hadn't thought much of it for he was exhausted after long days of making sure things were ready before their vacation. But now, after everything and seeing they were in a honeymoon suit, Ichigo was sure his father had packed something embarrassing. He quickly opened his bag and rummaged through its contents. Aside from clothes which were more elegant than he was used to, he didn't find anything out of the ordinary. Except, when he looked deeper in it, he found a huge bottle of lube and no condoms. Instead, there was a note, handwritten by his father, which read,

 _Ichigo, you turned 24 this year, which means you're a man and it's time for you to give me grandchildren. I understand that you're a busy person, which is why I planned this three-day vacation for you and Rukia to be all by yourselves. Don't worry, son, your daddy's got you! Enjoy my little present, if you're gonna make babies with my third daughter, you're gonna need it._

 _Love, dad._

 _P. S. don't worry about Byakuya-kun, I'll handle him._

He quickly destroyed the note, throwing its remains in the trash can, while vowing to pummel Isshin to death once they got home. The old man was gonna get it. He, then, looked at Rukia, who was reading a note as well. Ichigo's blood ran cold. Just what kind of depravities had his crazy father written her? What if he told her that they had planned this together?! He felt like throwing up.

"Hey, Rukia?" He called her.

"Yeah?" His girlfriend said, eyes still focused on the note.

"What did dad write you?" Ichigo asked, fidgeting where he stood.

"Oh, he was telling me he reserved a private part of the beach so that no one would bother us. He also said he packed us clothes for the evening. Kurosaki-san was very thoughtful, don't you think?" Rukia said, smiling.

"Right." Ichigo sighed in relief and thanked the heavens his father had enough sense not to send such things to his girlfriend.

"So, we should start getting ready. They're getting us dinner there." She added, grabbing a white dress from her bag.

Ichigo nodded, pulling black pants and a white shirt which seemed to match for their violet accents. They, too, reminded him of Rukia's eyes. He also found black swimming trunks that would do if he wanted to take a dip later on. Meanwhile, his girlfriend left to the bathroom, taking with her the white dress and a bag he knew had such necessities as body lotion and deodorant she kept in his father's house for whenever she visited. Knowing she was going to take a while, he started changing into his clothes, making sure he looked presentable. He also put on a beige belt, a chain and a bracelet. Yuzu had probably packed those for him, which made him believe his sisters had also been part of his father's plan. While he waited, he also put their luggage in the closet. They could always sort out their clothes after dinner.

Suddenly, the door opened and out came Rukia, wearing the dress. It reached below her knees, letting her smooth legs show. She had put a golden chain belt around her hips, accentuating them. She was also wearing a red necklace, a gold bracelet and a comb kept her now long hair from falling over her face. He could also tell that she was wearing a bit of makeup, her lips looking impossibly rosy. Ichigo felt all air leave his lungs. She looked stunning. She certainly was the most beautiful woman in the world. He wanted nothing more than to pull her close and kiss her until neither of them could breathe anymore.

"So, how do I look?" Rukia asked him sultrily.

"Uh…" Ichigo gaped. "You look… _amazing_." He finally said, stumbling through his words.

"You don't look bad yourself." Rukia said, smirking. She had the nerve to smirk at him! The vixen knew the things she did to him. "Shall we go?" She asked.

Ichigo simply nodded. They grabbed a wine bottle and a bucket with ice the hotel had kindly given them, and they set off. The receptionist told them the way to their private beach. It was a bit far, but when they arrived they knew it was worth it. The ocean looked so clear, sparkling under the sun. They quickly took off their shoes, and started walking around. The sand was soft and warm under their feet. Rukia found a nice place under a palm tree, where she lay down, a white rock supporting her back. Ichigo put the bucket between them and sat down, admiring the view that was in front of him.

"Your father was very kind for gifting us this vacation." Rukia said. "He really shouldn't have."

Ichigo was now starting thinking about how much money his crazy father must have spent for his wish of becoming a grandfather to vome true. Still, it had been nice of him to send them here. The hotel was very elegant. The view from their room was phenomenal. And the private beach was a nice touch. All in all, he was probably going to thank his father when they came back.

"You know how the old man is." Ichigo said, shrugging. "He would've found a way to get us here even if we had refused."

She smiled. "Your whole family's very kind."

He snorted. "Yeah, when they're not complaining or making a fuss out of nowhere."

His girlfriend laughed. "They're very lively too. Meanwhile, you're very grumpy."

Ichigo glared at her. "Ha, ha. Very funny, Rukia. Like you're one to talk."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She said, getting defensive.

"That if I'm grumpy, you have a bad temperament."

"At least I have a normal hair color." She said, sticking her tongue at him.

"Take that back!"

"Never!"

They continued glaring at each other, until they burst out laughing. Even after four years of dating, bickering was as normal as it had been when they were younger. The only difference was that, right after fighting, they always either laughed or shared a tender moment. That day it was both.

"I'm glad I came here with you." Rukia told him.

"That's my line." He added, smiling softly at her.

God, he was so in love with her he had grown soft.

Then, Rukia gave him a look that had his toes curling and his heart beating fast. "You know, we're alone here, in a private beach, by ourselves." She started saying.

Ichigo merely nodded, his mouth feeling dry.

"I was thinking…"

"Yeah?"

"We should enjoy our time together. We hardly get to be completely _alone_."

Hypnotized, he only nodded again. "What did you have planned?"

"Well… I'm not wearing a swimsuit underneath this dress." And with that, she stood up and pulled on the straps of the dress, until it fell down and pulled on her feet.

Ichigo didn't say anything else. He immediately jumped to his feet, and pulled her close, his mouth hot against hers, hands already wandering to where he knew Rukia was aching. As he made out with her, he silently thanked his father. It seemed his plan had worked. Well, only half-way through. Rukia always took her pills. It wouldn't do if Byakuya found out they were having sex before marriage. Although, one day for sure they would get married and give Isshin a grandchild. Just not at this moment. Right now, they were far more content spending time together at the beach.

* * *

 **A/N:** Urahara made Rukia a fake passport to get her to travel. All expenses were paid by Isshin. Also, this one-shot is set between "Not Over Yet" and "More Than Fate."


	27. The Fairest of Them All

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** Hello, everyone! IR Month is almost here, and I'm so excited! So, before we begin with more one-shots, I have to finish with the last prompt of last year's IR Month "Dance With Snow White." Now, storytime. I had a lot of ideas for this prompt (more about that later), but I couldn't write it due to the fact I still had to write the previous prompt. When that was done, my mind came up with several ideas and it ended becoming a super ambitious work. For the ones following me on Tumblr, you already know by now I've been working on a fanfiction worth 55 pages in Word. Now, I'm truly onlya bit over half-way through that story. My original plan was to post half of it now and tomorrow the other half. However, when I posted everything in the Doc manager here in FF I realized that half was like 22,184 words. It honestly would be a nightmare to read in one chapter, especially on mobile. So, I decided, to post the preview here if only to finish with the IR Month prompts here, and then publish the real story in a separate fanfiction entrwith the same title. Think of it this way, all of you get a taste of the story before anyone else, even before Tumblr. And tomorrow I will upload the full first chapter in that other FF, you can follow. Since I'm almost done, don't fear you're not going to read all of it. You will. How many chapters? Around 7. To give you an idea, "The Price of Love" has 54 pages in Word, which I divided in 5 chapters. I'm already in 55, I think it's gonna reach 70 something. Not sure yet. But, I'll keep uploading it perhaps once a week now that I have to publish IR Month at the same time. I'm really excited about this fanfiction, and I hope you like it too.

Now, it's come to my attention that we have just reached 190 reviews! Thank you all so much for your continuous support! It's been a year already since I first published "Stranded" and ever since I've received support from all of you. Thank you so much to everyone who reviews, has put this story in their favorites, follows it or even reads it! You keep me going day after day!

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 **Reviews**

 **Bleach Power:** Thank you! Byakuya wasn't very happy when he found out, and he threatened Ichigo with Senbonzakura telling him not to defile his sister.

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The Fairest of Them All

(Preview)

 **Summary:** A runaway princess, a cursed hero, a mad king, the three bring together the fairytale you never knew you needed. Can Princess Shirayuki recover her kingdom? Or will evil King Aizen triumph? And will Kuro ever be able to break his curse?

 **Prompt:** Dance With Snow White

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Once upon a time, in the far away land of Seireitei, a princess was born. She had hair as black as ebony, lips as red as blood, and skin as white as snow. Thus, she was given the nickname _Shirayuki_ or Snow White. Everywhere she went, she was loved by those around her. She was bright and vibrant and, most of all, kind. Her virtues were known throughout the land. Her beauty was spoken of as well. Tales from travelers coming from Seireitei spoke of a girl with mysterious eyes, either violet or deep blue. Silky hair, which fell down over her face in a black cascade. And skin, impossibly smooth and pale, as if it had been sculpted in marble. She truly was the fairest creature in all the land.

However, even if Shirayuki had been blessed with many gifts, her life wasn't without any hardships. Her mother, Queen Hisana, had passed away shortly after the princess was born. King Byakuya, fearing for his daughter's life, had issued a decree forbidding the princess from ever leaving the castle. A hard thing to impose to such a free-spirit as Shirayuki, whose curiosity exceeded all else. She was often seen in the servant's wing, chatting amicably with the maids. Or on the stables, playing with the dogs and horses. Her mother's garden was one of her favorite places as well. She often climbed trees, even if her nurses always chided her, fearing she'd slip and fall to her death. But Shirayuki was such an endearing child that no one could ever stay mad at her for long, not even the king, cold as he was. His daughter was the only one that could melt his heart, which had been frozen after his wife's death.

Overall, the princess grew up in a loving and peaceful environment, where she lived happily with those around her. But, sadly, that changed on the eve of her eighteenth birthday. As was custom, Byakuya had made a grand celebration for the princess' coming of age. Nobles from all around had been invited. A handful of suitors had come as well. Although, Shirayuki had not cared for all of that. She had only wanted to enjoy the festivities with her father and friends. That night, she had made her entrance to the ballroom, wearing the most exquisite dress made of white silk. She was a sight to be seen. Her long hair, falling down her shoulder in an intricate braid. A silver tiara as decoration sat on top of her hair. Her lips had been painted a luscious pink. And her smile ─ Oh, her smile! ─ had blinded them all. However, the happiness of those in attendance had been short-lived. While everyone was distracted in the party, the castle had been attacked. Suddenly, the doors of the castle were torn open and in walked Aizen Sosuke, a famous noble, who had been rumored to be a wizard.

"Aizen, I demand an explanation!" King Byakuya said, standing in front of his daughter, sword drawn.

The man had merely smirked. "Gin, execute the plan." He simply said to the silver-haired man to his right.

It had been blood-shed.

All of Byakuya's knights were murdered on sight. The party guests had screamed and tried to run away, but Aizen's men never let them go. Those who confronted them were killed almost instantly. And the king… Oh, the king fought valiantly and elegantly. He dispatched several of them easily. But he was not in his prime anymore. After fighting for what seemed like hours, he was overcome by Aizen himself. His sword stabbed him in the chest and blood spilled on the ground like a crimson waterfall. Shirayuki, who had been hiding in a corner, saw everything with wide eyes.

"Father!" She cried and instantly ran to where his father lay. She gently gathered him in her arms, her pure white dress becoming stained. "Father!" She cried again, shaking him, fearing death was gripping him.

The king turned to look at her, eyes glassy and face pale. He put a hand on her cheek, making her gasp. He was so cold. Byakuya looked at her intently. "Be brave." He whispered, then his hand fell from her cheek and, uttering a woman's name, he closed his eyes forever.

"Father!" Shirayuki cried harder, burying her face on the crook of his neck. Tears fell down her cheeks, as her body shook with each sob that ripped from her throat. "Father!" She called for him, even if she knew he wouldn't be able to save her anymore.

Beside her, Aizen chuckled darkly. His plan of taking over the kingdom had worked, and now there was only one thing that stood on his way.

"Gin, Tousen. Get her." He ordered his men, who instantly nodded and approached the wailing princess. Forcefully, they brought her to her feet, ripping her away from her father's body.

"Let me go!" She yelled, trying to pry herself away from them. But it was no use. They were much stronger.

"Now, now, princess." Aizen said as he stood in front of her. "It's no use crying. Now be a good child and obey my orders." He said in a saccharine voice that brought chills to Shirayuki's spine.

"Never." She snarled, eyes narrowing.

The traitor made a show of being scared of her. "My, my. You look just like your mother, but it seems you have inherited you're father's glare. What a beautiful sight you make!" He said, hand caressing Shirayuki's cheek. The princess felt revolted and tried to bite his hand. "Feisty, are we? Well, let's see how that fire dies when you sleep in the dungeons." He said, voice devoid of any emotion. "Take her." He ordered his men.

Shirayuki kicked and yelled, shouting for help. However, no one came to her aid. No matter how hard she kicked and hit them, neither let her go. Finally, they reached the underground dungeons. Shirayuki had only been there once. Her father had strictly forbidden her from entering the dungeons. But Shirayuki, being the person that she was, had found a way to come in when no one was watching. It had been so dark then, even during daytime. It was darker now that it was the middle of the night. Without a care for her well-being, the men threw her on the floor of the cell, laughing at her shocked expression.

"Bye-bye, princess~!" Gin said as he closed the door, grinning at her like a demon.

Shirayuki shivered and, once they had left, she started crying again. She cowered in a corner of the cell, feeling more alone than ever. She looked at her body, her dress torn and stained from the battle. Stained with her father's blood. Shaking, she opened her palm, revealing the locket she had managed to take from her father's neck before she had been pulled away. She carefully opened it. Inside there was a portrait of the royal family. Her father, all regal and handsome. Her mother, the most beautiful woman in the world. In her arms was a baby with black hair.

"Now I'm all alone." She said, suddenly realizing that her last relative in this world had died. "What do I do now?" She asked to the darkness, hoping someone would answer.

No one did.


	28. The Call of The Moon

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** Hey, guys! It's finally IchiRuki Month! I hope you are all as excited as I am! Will I finally be able to complete the whole month? Who knows. But, hey! At least I had already written the first one, so we're on to a good start. Anyway, because this is the first prompt, I decided to get you guys nostalgic and portray all interactions between Ichigo and Rukia as they were during the first chapter. There's not really anything romantic happening other than IR shenanigans, but tomorrow you'll get your fill of romance, I promise. Well, about the topic, I've always loved witches and wizards, and whenever I read "fantasy" I always think first about them, so there's that. It has nothing to do with Kubo's one-shot lol.

On another subject, "The Fairest of Them All" it's been already published, so if you want to read the full story, just look it up in my profile.

Thank you so much for your continuous support! Again, thank you for staying with me and reading this collection! You guys rock!

Now, without further adue, let IR Month begin!

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 **Reviews**

 **Bleach Power:** Thank you so much! I'm actually really proud of it! And, yeah, my plan is to write novels. I'm working on it right now.

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The Call of The Moon

 **Prompt:** a fantasy universe

 **Summary:** Rukia, a witch in training, meets a strange human while passing by a town. Who is he and why does he have so much power?

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Rukia started walking faster. It would be dusk soon. She needed to reach the nearest town, and hopefully find a place to spend the night. Nighttime was always dangerous. You never knew what you would find there. She pulled her coat closer to her body. As the cold wind blew by and chilled her to the core, Rukia internally cursed Kiyone. She was the one who suggested traveling as a way to complete her training. "You'll learn more from experience than from reading." She had told her. Easy for Kiyone to say. Cooped in the library, she didn't have to walk in the middle of nowhere armed only with her knowledge. She didn't even have a wand yet!

Why would Rukia need a wand you ask? That is simple to answer. Because Kuchiki Rukia was no ordinary human. She was a witch.

Well…

A witch _in_ _training_. But that was just a tiny little detail. She only needed to learn a few more attack spells, a couple of curses, and the properties of some plants, and then she would be able to forge her own wand. Then, for sure, she would get to train with Ukitake, one of the most important wizards in the coven, and her days of aimless travel would be over! Rukia couldn't wait for that moment. Just a few months, and then she could return home. Hopefully, her brother would be proud of her as well. She didn't know how much trials she still had to pass to be an official member of the Kuchiki family, but she was willing to try anything. The Kuchiki Clan was one of the most prestigious wizarding families, and Rukia needed to live up to their expectations.

As the wind blew even colder, Rukia hastened her pace. Just now she could make up the lights of a town. _Jackpot!_ She was so close she could already hear the people from town. It wasn't late yet, so maybe she could still get dinner somewhere. She wasn't a picky eater, she would even eat the scraps from the day before. She hadn't eaten anything in two days. She was only still standing because she had brewed an enhancement potion. It kept her healthy even if she didn't eat, drink or sleep in prolonged amounts of time. That didn't mean she didn't feel hunger anymore, she just was unable to die. Being a magical being had its perks, but there was a long way for magic to go. The day she could create eternal food with just one spell would be the day Rukia would name herself the best witch in the world! Then, nii-sama would be so proud of her, he would even name her head of the clan.

Hah!

As if that would happen.

Once she entered town, a few people glanced at her with raised eyebrows. They were probably a bit suspicious of a young foreign girl traveling by night. They weren't being paranoid. Rukia was a witch after all, and she could very well curse them ─ well, not yet, she didn't know those kinds of curses yet. Thankfully, she found a kind lady to ask the location of the nearest in.

"Go to the Kurosaki Inn. There, you will surely find shelter for the night."

Following her directions, Rukia soon found herself in front of a medium size building which had a sign that read "Kurosaki Inn." She shivered, feeling a strange energy. She glanced around and found nothing. "Weird." She muttered. Normally, her senses were topnotch. Anytime she shivered, it was because some sort of specter, demon or powerful wizard was around. Although, she might have just shivered because of the cold. Shrugging, she entered the inn. The first thing she saw was a tavern, where people were drinking. They all stopped their conversations to stare at her. Rukia shuffled awkwardly where she stood near the entrance. They all looked at her as if she were an intruder. That wasn't good at all. She contemplated turning away and camping instead, when a man suddenly approached her.

"Welcome to my inn!" He greeted her. "I'm Kurosaki Isshin, what can I do for you?"

So this was the owner. Kurosaki Isshin was a tall man with black hair and a beard. He looked to be around his forties. He seemed kind enough, if a bit excitable. At least he hadn't made her go yet. "I'm looking for a room for the night. And something to eat." Rukia asked, using her best kind voice.

The man nodded. "Of course, of course. It's getting late. I'll let you eat now, and then I'll lead you to your room. You can pay in the morning."

Rukia smiled at him and thanked him. He let her to a table, and she sat down. She tried ignoring the stares she felt at the back of her head. It was easier than it should have been. Years of receiving mean-spirited comments and nasty glares did that to you. After waiting for a bit, a girl arrived, carrying her food. She must have been around ten or eleven, and she had short, blond hair and kind eyes. She put the plates on the table, and greeted her warmly. "Enjoy!" She told Rukia before leaving. The witch smiled to herself. The stew she had been served was warm still. Better yet, it was probably the most delicious thing she had ever tasted during the past six months! She ate all of it, evidently hungry. Once she had finished, Isshin suddenly appeared at her side.

"Have you finished?" He asked. She simply nodded. "Great! Let's take you to you room! Ichigo!" Isshin yelled all of a sudden.

The two waited until two heavy steps could be heard. From the back of the tavern, a young man arrived. He was a bit shorter than Isshin, and he had a lean figure. He must have been around Rukia's age or so. His most striking feature, however, was his orange hair. Rukia had never seen hair like that in humans, only in fairies and trolls.

"What do you want?" He asked Isshin, crossing his arms. He looked annoyed for some reason.

"Would you do me the favor of taking our _client_ to her room?" He told the boy.

 _Ichigo_ did a once over. He looked straight into Rukia's eyes and then shrugged. "Fine."

"Miss…" Isshin started saying.

"Call me Rukia, please." She said, smiling still.

"Miss Rukia, this is my son. He'll be taking you to your room." He said, gesturing to the boy. "Ichigo, take her bags and lead her to her room."

The boy did as he was told. Taking the bag from Rukia's hands, he started walking to the back of the tavern. She said goodbye to the owner, who told her to have breakfast at the tavern in the morning. As she walked, she noticed how all the people kept giving her nasty stares. She ignored them again. She was used to them anyway. She followed Ichigo, who led her upstairs. He never spoke to her, not even once. He was a weird boy. He looked grumpy even. Not at all like his cheery father or the kind girl she assumed was his sister. He then opened a door which had the number fifteen written on it. He lit up a candle and put the bag next to her bed.

"This is your room." He simply said.

"Thanks." She answered. Rukia thought Ichigo would leave after their small exchange, but he remained. "Look, I don't have a lot of coins. Maybe I can give you some tomorrow after breakfast when I get change." She told him, figuring he wanted a reward of sorts for helping her, but Rukia was running out of money. Another reason to finish her travels soon.

"Where do you come from?" He asked instead, reclining on the door.

"From very far away." She answered. She doubted he even knew where her coven was located.

"Why are you here?" Ichigo asked her next. Boy did he like to make questions!

"I'm just passing through. I'm staying here for the night and I'll leave in the morning." She answered, getting annoyed by his questions. "Why?"

"It's just suspicious a kid like you would be traveling by herself. Are you a thief? We don't have much here." The boy said, tone accusatory.

Rukia felt her eye twitching. The nerve! "Kid? I'm not a kid! I'm seventeen!" She was almost a full witch already, damnit!

"Really? You look twelve to me!"

"How dare you?!" She yelled, and she would have hexed him if he wasn't a normal human. What a shame.

"Anyway, if you're not a thief, then why are you so far away from home?" He asked her. He still wouldn't just let it go.

"I'm studying." She simply said, not wanting to give anything away.

"What are you studying?"

Rukia sighed in exasperation. "I study plants and their properties, alright? I plan on becoming a healer."

"Funny. That sounds like a witch job." He commented, almost nonchalantly. Keyword: _almost_.

"Huh?"

The young witch felt as if all blood had drained from her face. Had he discovered her? No, that was impossible, she had even been very cautious. She wasn't like Rangiku, who walked around wearing an over the top hat, and a cauldron wherever she went. He couldn't have deducted that from what little he knew of her. Right? Rukia started sweating. Looking around, she realized no one was close to them. She could always knock him unconscious and erase his memory. But that would take time she didn't have.

"Yeah. All witches have those weird black things around them." He said, pointing at her face.

"Eh?" She stuttered, bewildered.

After they learned how to control the magic around them, wizards and witches tended to attract small, black beings known as _witches' familiars_. The familiars would feed from the magical power witches and wizards exuded. The most powerful the sorcerer, the more familiars he or she would have. However, only those who had any spiritual sense were able to see them. Most were, you guessed it, sorcerers. Never normal humans.

Rukia's eyes widened. "Can you see them?" She asked, almost whispering.

"Of course I can see them!" He said. "I've been able to see spirits since I was a kid!"

 _Impossible!_ No simple humans were allowed to see spirits and other magical beings. It was dangerous for them. They could attract a wide variety of demons, angry ghosts, and even mean fairies, who would put their lives at risk. Normally, all towns had a sorcerer living in them, who would protect them from such spirits. Those with spiritual powers would be taught the ways of each coven. To think Ichigo had gone about fifteen years without anyone instructing him about spirits!

"I'll ask again, witch," The boy said, glaring at her, "What is your business here?"

Rukia clenched her teeth. "I already told you. I'm just passing through."

"Really? I don't believe you. Maybe I should take you to the Mayor. He'll know what to do with you."

Her blood turned cold. When a witch was discover, she was usually hanged or worse, _burnt_. "Don't do that. I don't mean any harm. I'll leave in the morning and I'll never come back." She tried to convince him.

He didn't look too impressed. "How can I trust you?"

"I can tell you about those black things you see." Rukia said, trying to bargain. "And if you can see them, you've probably seen other beings, right? And you don't know what they mean. I can help you with that."

"And why would I want to know that?" Ichigo asked her sarcastically.

"They're little pests, aren't they?" She asked. "They nag you all the time, don't they?"

He backed away from her. "How do you know? Are you clairvoyant?"

She rolled her eyes. "They do that when they sense someone with your _abilities_. You could say you attract them." The boy nodded. "I can give you tips to get rid of them. Only if you don't tell on me with the Mayor, of course."

Ichigo thought about it for a minute. "Fine." He said at last.

Twenty minutes later, both were sitting on the floor. Rukia used the parchment and ink she always carried with her to illustrate her explanations. "These are familiars." She said, pointing to the black dots which were surrounding an anthropomorphous rabbit which looked just like her. "All sorcerers attract them, but they're harmless." Next, she grabbed another parchment. "These are ghosts. They're the souls of those who have passed." She said, pointing to a ghost-like bear. "They're divided in two: those who have recently passed away." She said, pointing to a ghost next to a tomb. "And those who have been dead for years. The latter tend to transform into demonic spirits." She said, pointing to a red bear, with pointy teeth and claws. "Any questions?"

"Yeah. Why do your drawings abnormally suck?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia threw the parchments right to his face. "That's it! I'm gonna curse you!" She yelled, even if it was a lie. She couldn't very well curse him. _Yet_.

"Oh, really?" He said. "If you do, everyone will suspect you, and you might be dead by morning."

"Why you little─"

Rukia couldn't finish her sentence, for the ground started rumbling. Her eyes widened and she turned to look at the window.

"What's that?!" Ichigo shouted.

"No… it can't be…" She muttered.

"Hey!" He said, grabbing her by the shoulder. "What is it?!"

"A hollow…" She murmured.

A hollow was a strange being. It was a demonic spirit who was attracted to those with high spiritual levels. It liked eating witches and wizards. However, not every sorcerer could attract them. Only those who were too powerful. They would serve as tasty meals for the hollows. A powerful sorcerer would be able to defeat them quickly. But in high quantities, it would be a problem. Rukia had only seen a hollow once. It had been drawn to her brother for his powerful abilities. Byakuya had instantly killed it using a hex. It had been exciting to watch from far away. Not so much by being now that she was so close to it.

Rukia looked at Ichigo. She knew for a fact she wasn't still strong enough to attract a hollow. She had been traveling by herself for months and not once had she come across one. She wasn't even a witch yet! But, she remembered, there were those whose abilities were far stronger even if they hadn't trained yet. Hitsugaya Toshirou, a prodigy in the coven, was one of them. No, it wasn't she who drew in the hollow. It was the boy standing next to her.

"I have to go!" She yelled, gathering her book of spells.

"Go? Where?!" He shouted, going after her as she ran downstairs.

"It's too long to explain!" She told him. "But if we don't do anything, both of us will be killed!"

If hollows found other sorcerers, even those who weren't powerful yet, they would eat them anyway. They were good appetizers after all.

Rukia opened the backdoor and exited. Sure enough, in the backyard there was a hollow. It was enormous and it had a grotesque face. Claws big enough to tear down any manmade building. And those eyes. They were red and reached into your soul. The hollow growled once it saw them, and started approaching them, terribly slow.

"What's that?! A dragon?!" Ichigo yelled next to her.

"Of course not!" She answered. "That'd be stupid!"

"Then what is it?!"

"A hollow." She said. She quickly opened the book and skimmed through the pages. "Come on… come on…" She muttered.

"What are you doing?! Shouldn't you be slashing it or something?!" He yelled, clearly terrified of it.

"Do I look like I'm armed to you?!" She shouted.

"Then use your wand!"

"I don't have one!"

"What kind of witch are you?!"

"A witch in training!" Rukia answered. "Aha!" She proclaimed. Just in time she had found the spell she needed. "Now all I gotta do is─"

"Hey! Hey! Come here!" The one yelling like an idiot was Ichigo. He had grabbed an axe from behind him and was approaching the hollow.

"Fool." She muttered. "What the hell are you doing?!" She yelled at him.

"Since you were taking too long I decided to kill it myself!" He shouted. "He's getting too close to my sisters' room!"

"Get back!" Rukia said but he didn't listen.

"Don't worry, it's too slow to─"

Ichigo stopped talking. In the blink of an eye the hollow had moved until he was right in front of him. The boy stopped dead on his tracks and looked at the monster, feeling more fear than he had ever done before. The hollow opened his gigantic jaw and was about to bite him when something pushed him away. Then blood splattered everywhere.

"Move." Rukia said weakly. She had a hole on her stomach.

Ichigo didn't think twice, he grabbed her and ran until they were close to the door. "Are you alright?"

She laughed bitterly. "You think?" He didn't answer, instead he applied pressure to her wound to keep the blood from flowing. "At this rate we'll both die." She said, keeping an eye on the hollow, who was busy licking its lips.

"Can't you curse him or something?" He asked her, clearly worried.

"I found a spell that we could use, but I'm too weak to cast it." She said. Her spiritual energy was busy healing her. She thanked her presence of mind for using that enhancement potion, but it wouldn't be enough to recover her strength back before the hollow could eat them.

"What do we do… what do we do…" Ichigo kept muttering, looking around everywhere.

She looked at him. _Really_ looked at him. Now that he was close to her, Rukia could feel his spiritual energy surrounding him. It was very strong. Stronger than hers and any other sorcerer in training's energy. He was already at wizard level. No wonder he had attracted that hollow. But, since he was this powerful, it could be useful. He could cast the spell for her.

"Here." She said, putting the book in his arms. "Cast it."

"What? But I'm not a witch!" He said.

"I think you mean wizard." Rukia chuckled. "And you're powerful enough to cast it. I'm sure."

He seemed indecisive. "And if it doesn't work?"

"We both die." She said simply.

He sucked in breath. "Alright. I hope this works, witch."

"I'm not _witch_." She said. "My name's Kuchiki Rukia."

"Nice meeting you." He replied. "I'm Kurosaki Ichigo." Then, he read the words in the book and began casting the spell. It said _The call of the moon_. "I invoke the power within me to get rid of thee, oh unholy one. Forces of nature, forces within, give me the strength to destroy thee! Oh Moon, heed my call, and lend me your power!" He yelled. He began glowing white as he powered up, and then, from his hands, a ball of energy emerged. He threw it to the hollow, who cried in agony and then evaporated in front of their eyes.

"Holy shit." Ichigo whispered. "I killed it!"

"Unbelievable." Rukia said, amazed. He had killed it in one go. It had taken Byakuya two light balls to kill the hollow. And Ichigo didn't even look drained! He definitely wasn't normal. Not even by a sorcerer's standard.

"Wait!" Ichigo said, turning to her. "You're hurt!"

"I'll be fine." She said. Indeed. She was already healing.

The boy didn't listen to her, and carried her in his arms to her room. Thankfully, no one in town had seen what had happened. It was good. If word got to the Mayor, both of them would have been burnt to a crisp. Ichigo set her on her bed, and she breathed in relief. Luckily, they were alive. Unluckily, now she had a problem. She couldn't just let a human like Ichigo free. He was undoubtedly going to attract more hollows in the future and other demons who would eat him for sure. He needed training. Immediately.

"You need to be trained." Rukia said as he looked at her wound.

"What?"

"Trained. In witchcraft." She said.

"Why would I want that?" He asked her.

"Because if you don't get trained, you might get eaten by a hollow or get killed by some other being." She answered.

"I… I don't know… who can train me? Can you?"

"No. I'm still in training, but I can take you to my coven. There you'll get trained like all of us." Rukia explained him.

"I… no… but I'll have to leave home." He said.

"Ichigo." She called him. "I can't just leave you here. Not only is your life in danger, but also the lives of those around you. You don't want that, right?"

Ichigo went silent, mulling over her words.

"I leave tomorrow after breakfast. You have until then."

After that, Ichigo left the room and he left her alone with her thoughts. Rukia was still shaken from the events earlier that day. She couldn't believe she had met someone like Ichigo in this little town. However, she was sure he needed to come with her, whether he liked it or not.

* * *

The next morning, Rukia woke up feeling refreshed and hungry. Her wound had healed already and only a hole remained in her clothes. She would need to patch them up. She changed into clean clothes, and washed her face. She made sure all her things were packed, and then she opened the door. She met face to face with Ichigo, who had his fist risen as if he were about to knock.

"Well?" She asked, not wanting to beat around the bush.

"I'm coming with you." He said simply. Just then, she noticed he was carrying a bag.

"Excellent. We'll have breakfast and then we'll explain everything to your father."

They ate together at the tavern, under the watchful eyes of Isshin who was snickering with his youngest daughter, the kind girl from before. They were both gossiping about Ichigo and what they believed was his crush on the girl. Karin, his second daughter, was squinting at Rukia. Funny, she could have sworn a moment ago there were black dots surrounding her brother and the strange girl who kept him company. After breakfast was over, Ichigo asked to speak with his father in private. Rukia joined them in Isshin's office and then proceeded to explain the man that his son was a proficient healer.

"He can learn so much in our school." She said. "And don't worry about the money! Education there is free!" She added.

Isshin was convinced and nodded. "Very well. It might help you become a responsible man!"

They still couldn't believe how lucky they had gotten, but decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

An hour later, Ichigo and Rukia stood outside the inn as Ichigo said goodbye to his family.

"We'll miss you, onii-chan!" Yuzu said, crying and hugging him.

"Have fun, Ichi-nii!" Karin replied coolly, though in reality she was trying not to cry.

"Make us proud, son!" Isshin said, holding his three children in a bone-crushing embrace. "Have a safe trip!"

After saying his goodbyes, both teens started walking and soon left Karakura Town.

"Do you think they'll really accept me?" He asked her.

"I have absolutely no doubts about it." With his abilities, he would surpass her knowledge in no time.

They both smiled at each other, feeling this was just the beginning of a great adventure and, who knew, maybe a great relationship too. Maybe.

Unbeknownst to them, they were being watched by two figures: one man covered in green robes and a talking cat.

"Do you think someone saw them last night?" The cat asked the man.

"Nah." He dismissed. "I made sure of it."

"Good. We don't want a witch hunt here."

"I'm sure that won't be the case. Isshin is up to date with my report. He won't let anyone find out."

"And if someone asks why Ichigo left, we can always say he eloped with that pretty girl." The cat added.

Both laughed and the man nodded. "Yoruichi-san, you have the best ideas!"

Years later, there would be stories told around the town that the son of the inn owner eloped to marry a girl he had met just the night before, and that they currently lived far away from everyone, living happily with their children. It was a romantic story people passed around, sighing at the idea of love at first sight. Meanwhile, there was a rumor the girl was actually a witch who had bewitched the boy to make him fall in love with her. A less popular version stated the boy was also some sort of wizard, and that he and the girl had gone to the Coven Gotei to train in witchcraft and become powerful sorcerers. That was, however, the least popular version, and was often dismissed by the townspeople. But, far away from Karakura, beyond the forest, beyond the sea, a married couple told their children the true version of events. It was their kids' favorite story. The story of how their parents had met before becoming the powerful sorcerers they were now.

* * *

 **A/N:** Anyone caught that jab about Burn The Witch?


	29. The Force of My Love

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** Welcome back to IR Month Day 2. But before I talk about today's story, let me just thank you for, as of today, we're already over 200 reviews! Thank you everyone so much for your support! It really means a lot to me that you like what I write. Each and every review I get from you guys brightens my day! Now, for today's one shot we have a crossover with Star Wars. I've watched all moves, but I confess I haven't watched the first six ones in a long while. Any mistakes you see here are a result of that, even if I did get help from a friend who loves the franchise. I thought that seeing Ichigo and Rukia as Jedi would be cool, so this is the result. There's action and as I promised yesterday, there's a lot of romance. And I truly mean it. As well as suggestive themes. Now, this is set before the prequels, back when the Republic still existed. Also, their relationship is meant to parallel in some ways the relationship between Anakin and Padmé. (Yes, they're my favorite ship, even if Anakin ruined everything.) Hope you like it, and prepare for more romance in the next two days! This will truly be an IR fest.

On another note, some of you didn't read "Burn The Witch" and so missed the joke. So here's the thing, it turns out that there's a Soul Society West Branch set in London, and instead of Shinigami they have witches. The witches don't fight hollows, though. Instead of hollows, all evil spirits are dragons. Yeah. It sounds dumb. That's why in "The Call of The Moon" when Ichigo asks Rukia if the hollow is a dragon, she tells him that no, 'cause that'd be stupid. Anyway, that was my jab to Kubo. Sorry not sorry.

Hope you enjoy this one-shot too! See you tomorrow!

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **Bleach Power:** Yeah, I guess so! Maybe it could be in the same universe. And, yeah, when I publish something, I'll let you all know.

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The Force of My Love

 **Prompt:** a crossover

 **Summary:** Jedi Ichigo and Rukia end up breaking many rules just to be together.

* * *

Ichigo couldn't concentrate. He knew it was important ─ this was their mission briefing after all ─ but his mind was elsewhere. All his attention was focused on the feeling of a hand making its way all throughout his leg until it reached his crotch. He shivered at the touch. It was awakening in him an instinctual feeling of possession. He needed more. He needed _her_. However, Ichigo tried to block such thoughts. He reminded himself he couldn't possibly be thinking about that in front of Urahara, his master back when he was young, and his superior officer as well.

"Is something wrong, young Kurosaki?" The blond man asked him, a playful smile on his face.

The young Jedi Knight coughed. "No… No… everything's fine." Next to him, a woman snickered.

"Well, as I was saying…"

Ichigo blocked Urahara's voice and turned to glare at her. The woman in question was Rukia Kuchiki. His partner in missions for the last five years. His mentor when the two were just padawans. His best friend. And, most importantly, his secret lover, the one whose hand was doing things to his body that should be illegal. Did he mention he was crazy about her? Such was his life, but he couldn't complain. The two had known each other for the past ten years. Ten years of craziness, adventure and love. No one knew him like Rukia did. He wouldn't change her for the world.

"Were you listening to me Kurosaki?" Urahara said with an unusual strict tone of voice he reserved when he wanted to appear intimidating.

"Yes, of course. We need to go to Hueco Mundo and investigate a few attacks to the Queen's guards." He said matter-of-factly. Even if he had been distracted, he had actually listened to what Urahara said. Well, most of it.

The Jedi Master harrumphed. "As your superior, I have to say you need to take this seriously. Supreme Chancellor Yamamoto personally appointed you two for this mission." He said and the two Jedi nodded. "But as your friend, I'm just gonna say, have fun!" He exclaimed, taking out his fan.

Ichigo and Rukia stared at him amused. It was funny how sometimes Urahara's mood would change drastically. Although Ichigo had to agree most often than not, his previous master was a pain in the ass.

"Well, that's all for now. You better get going." He told them. "You are dismissed." He said, waving them off.

"Yes, Master Urahara." Both Jedi said and then left.

The two walked out of his chambers and headed towards their own. On their way, they met other Jedi, who greeted them accordingly. Once or twice they saw a couple of Padawans and their masters. Ichigo was still not used to being referred to as "Master" by the kids. He wasn't a master. _Yet_. So he acted awkward in every interaction. Rukia didn't though. She actually kneeled to greet the children properly, and would smile at them, even telling them to study hard to become Knights one day. She was good with kids. The sight warmed his heart. Once that was done, they finally reached his quarters. Rukia waltzed in as if she owned the place, and she practically did for she spent most of her time with him anyway. He took his cloak off and tossed it to the ground. When he was about to take his tunic off, Rukia slammed her elbow against his ribs.

Shouting in pain, he rubbed his side. Then, he turned to glare at her. "What was that for?!"

His partner rolled her eyes. "For being distracted during our meeting with Urahara. What would have happened if we were discovered, eh, _young Kurosaki_?" She said in that sing-songy voice of hers he detested.

"Funny you scolded me when you started it." He grumbled, still rubbing his abused ribs.

"Speaking of which…" She muttered, before sauntering to where he was standing. His eyes glued to the way her hips moved from side to side as she walked. Once she was in front of him, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Standing on her toes, she reached his ear and whispered. "Why don't we finish what we started?"

 _Minx_. Ichigo thought with a smirk before capturing her lips with his. She kissed him back happily, arms already trying to get rid of his tunics. He helped her, before carrying her in his arms and throwing her on the bed. He climbed on top of her and kept kissing her, hands already wandering to his favorite places. Her moans were reward enough. He kept going, and eventually both were naked, sweaty, and oh so deeply satisfied.

"We really gotta stop doing that before missions." He grunted, voice coming out hoarse and husky.

"It's for good luck." Rukia said beside him, hand making circles on his chest. "And, besides, it wouldn't do to be horny while we fight. We need to focus on our mission."

Ichigo didn't say anything else. He just grunted in affirmation, and then brought her closer to his body. He kissed the top of her head. "It just makes me hornier."

She laughed and playfully slapped his chest. "You'll get more of that when we come back."

"You know…" He started saying instead, hands rubbing her back. "We could have some in the ship. No one would bother us then."

Rukia frowned. "You forget we have to bring Kon with us. And he's not exactly the most discreet android out there."

Ichigo groaned. "Do we really have to bring him with us?"

She giggled. "You know we do." Then she stood up and cracked her back. "Come on, big boy, we have to pack."

The young man let himself admire her naked body for a moment. Rukia had the body of a goddess. Soft skin that seemed to go on forever. Small and enchanting curves. A fit and smooth stomach. Strong thighs. A round ass he loved to grab. And those perky breasts. She was just stunning.

Rukia noticed his wandering eyes because she immediately leaned down and kissed him. "Come on, the sooner we start, the sooner we'll get back and you'll get more of that."

"Yes, ma'am." He said grinning.

He stood up and both got changed back in their clothes. Rukia waved him goodbye and went to her own room. Ichigo shook his head. He really didn't want to leave for the mission, but he knew they had to. Well, there wasn't much he could do but get ready. He grabbed a bag from his closet and started packing his essentials. Spare clothes. Hygiene products. Whatever he deemed was necessary. Once that was done, he left his bag near the front and took a trip to the shower. After their _activities_ he sure needed to wash himself. He was just shampooing his hair, when he felt a pair of slim arms wrapped around him.

"Back so soon?" He asked, knowing full well who was behind him.

"Hmmm." Rukia muttered. "I always have a bag ready for missions. I just needed to pack a few things. Thought I could use a shower before leaving." She said. Ichigo couldn't see her face but he was sure she had winked at him.

"You had the same idea as I did." He said, his hands rubbing her arms.

"You know what they say, great minds think alike."

He chuckled and then he untangled himself from her embrace to face her. He brought her under the shower head. Her short black hair got wet immediately and it began sticking against her head. Water trickled down her bare neck and made a path down her exposed breasts and the rest of her body. God, she was beautiful. He pulled her in for a deep kiss, which she returned happily. Excited, Ichigo pushed her against the wall and kissed her neck.

"Ichigo." She giggled, playing with his hair. When he sucked harder, Rukia gasped and moaned. " _Ichigo_." She said, with more urgency this time. He kept going. "Ichigo!" She said more sternly and he finally pulled away.

"What?" He asked. He took a moment to admire his handiwork. Rukia's cheeks were flushed, and her chest moved up and down fast in agitation. There, staining her pale skin, was his mark. He smirked smugly.

"If you keep that up we'll never leave." She admonished him.

"Fine." Ichigo said and he let her drop down.

They showered as quickly as they could, stealing kisses every once in a while. They slipped out of the shower and got dressed in clean clothes. Ichigo noticed Rukia had brought her bag with her, and when they were ready, she grabbed it and headed to the door. He followed her, grabbing his discarded bag on the way. On the way out of the temple, they kept greeting people. Ichigo was never the most cheerful person, and such things annoyed him. It was no use though. In here everyone was kind.

"Ichigo! Rukia!" A female voice said.

"Kurosaki. Kuchiki." Another added.

"Inoue. Ishida." Ichigo greeted them, and Rukia nodded as well.

The man and woman in front of them were their friends. Orihime Inoue was a member of the senate they had befriended during one of their missions. She was a sweet young woman, who was always smiling. Her companion was Uryu Ishida, son of a senator, and a Jedi like them. He had been appointed Orihime's personal guard, however both Ichigo and Rukia suspected there was more going on between them than just a simple friendship.

"I heard you're going on a mission." Ishida said after their greetings.

"Yes. We're leaving for Hueco Mundo soon." Rukia answered, adjusting the strap of her bag. Wordlessly, Ichigo took it from her.

"Hueco Mundo?" Orihime asked, with wide eyes.

"Yeah. That's right." Ichigo said.

Hueco Mundo was a planet far away from Coruscant. It was almost all a desert. A rough place to live. Somehow, the inhabitants of the planet had managed to survive despite the terrible weather and environment. The days were long but the nights were longer. The Arrancar, the alien race who lived there, were a rowdy bunch. It had taken some time until Hueco Mundo was part of the Republic. As such, security in it wasn't the best around. They were known for illegal fighting rings, slavery, kidnapping and drug dealing. What was truly worrisome for the Senate was the belief that several Sith Lords hid in there. Orihime, once, had been a victim of a particularly nasty Sith. She had been taken from her home and taken to Hueco Mundo, where she waited until Ichigo, Rukia and Ishida had been appointed to rescue her. The girl still had nightmares from the whole ordeal.

"What's happening there now?" Ishida asked, clearly annoyed.

"The queen's been having problems." Ichigo said. Ishida nodded in understanding.

"Sorry to cut this conversation short, but we have to leave now. It's going to take us a while to reach Hueco Mundo." Rukia interrupted, seeing the hour in her watch.

"Right. Don't let us make you late." Ishida said.

"Good luck in your mission!" Orihime told them.

The two Jedi waved goodbye and left.

"We still have some time." Ichigo complained. "We could've stayed and talked to them some more."

"Orihime seemed uneasy." Rukia replied. "She got pale the moment we mentioned Hueco Mundo. I thought it'd be better for her if we stopped talking about it."

He chuckled. "You really do care about your friends."

Rukia blushed, embarrassed. "Shut up."

"By the way," Ichigo started saying. "Did you tell your brother about the mission?"

The young woman shrugged. "I figured Urahara or someone else would fill him in."

That was a lie, though. Ichigo knew Byakuya Kuchiki, her brother and member of the Senate, would have thrown a fit had he heard his sister was going on a solo mission with Ichigo _again_. Byakuya wasn't Ichigo's best fan, although their relationship had improved greatly. The older man probably felt that Rukia's partner would try to do unspeakable things to her. And he was right. Byakuya always warned her not to get too close to Ichigo, just in case. The irony was that Rukia was the one to always go in his room at night, and the one to initiate half of their encounters. Today was just an example of that. The other reason to hide for Rukia to not tell her brother anything was that she would have to, undoubtedly, see her brother's guard, Renji. He and Rukia used to be childhood friends, who became estranged as time went by and life separated them. Back when they were training, Ichigo and Renji used to be rivals due to their natural competitive personalities. Although Ichigo back then didn't realize right away that their rivalry was founded on the fact Ichigo was now closer to Rukia. And when the two were named partners, that didn't sit well with Renji either. He had stopped talking to them, feeling betrayed. It wasn't difficult to see he was in love with Rukia, and not being the number one person in her life hurt him. He had distanced himself from them and now all interactions were awkward. It was no wonder Rukia didn't go see her brother often.

"I guess that's true." Ichigo added. "But maybe next time give him a heads-up. Byakuya might believe I kidnapped you or something."

"Are you scared of my brother, Ichigo?" She asked him, grinning at him in a way he knew spelled bad news.

"Of course not!" He replied, embarrassed.

"Sure."

As they approached the hangar, conversation dwelled between them. Whenever there was silence between them, it was never awkward. The best part about his relationship with Rukia was that they could read each other without having to speak. They knew each other like the back of their hand. As such, every moment between them was comfortable. After ten years of knowing each other, Ichigo couldn't expect any differently. Rukia could very well be the only person in the entire universe who knew him inside out. He prided himself he could do the same. He smiled as he looked at her. He hoped he would feel this peace whenever they were together, so he decided to cherish this moment. Which lasted about two seconds when a voice resounded from the hangar.

"RUUUUKIAAAAA!" Someone shouted. In the blink of an eye a small android made his way towards Rukia, leaping to hug her. "How I missed you!" He yelled as he tried to bury his robotic head in her chest.

"Don't even think about it!" Both Ichigo and Rukia said, as the latter got out of the way, and Ichigo kicked him to the other side.

"Ichigo! You're so mean! I only wanted to greet Rukia properly!" The android said, even sniffing a bit.

He rolled his eyes. "That's no way to greet her and you know it."

The android in question was the unit K-0N, otherwise known as Kon by the two Jedi. When they started going on missions, they had requested an android to aid them in their quests. Urahara had told them he had the perfect robot for them. Then he had given them Kon as a gift. Ichigo should have known there was something suspicious about him, but when they found out, it had been too late. Kon wasn't the most intelligent or capable android out there, and he was perverted to boot. He was an annoyance more than anything. His only attribute was that he was good at shooting and creating diversions. Ichigo honestly would have thrown him in the garbage if he and Rukia hadn't become fond of the little guy. After so many adventures together, it would have been unthinkable to go anywhere without him.

That didn't mean he wasn't a pain in the ass.

It was Rukia's turn to roll her eyes at their bickering. "If you have finished staring into each other's eyes, we should get going."

"Who's staring into his eyes?!" Both robot and man exclaimed at the same time, making equally disgusted faces.

The woman merely laughed. "Come on, let's go."

She started walking away when she stumbled on her feet. Ichigo quickly grabbed her. "Rukia! Are you okay?" He asked her, clearly worried. Next to them, Kon had approached them, looking equally worried.

She simply shook her head. "I'm fine. Let go." She said. When Ichigo didn't move, she sighed. "I'm fine, really. I just didn't look where I was going and tripped. You can let go now."

Ichigo did as he was told and followed Rukia until they boarded the ship. He had noticed she had been acting weird for a whole week. But since they had had other jobs to do around, he hadn't gotten the chance to ask her. He had planned to do it that day, but surprise, surprise, they had been tasked with a new mission in another planet. He figured he would be able to talk to her after their returned. Unless something went out wrong, or there was an emergency, they were usually given two days to rest from their work. Ichigo observed her once more. She looked slightly pale, but it was difficult to tell since her skin was so white to begin with. Maybe she was getting sick. Whatever it was, it would have to wait.

After boarding the ship, they left their bags on their rooms and then went to the cockpit. Ichigo sat in his seat, Rukia next to him, and Kon on the other side. He turned on the ship, and then flew up and away from Coruscant. Once in space, he said, "Set the curse to Hueco Mundo." Immediately the ship went in that direction. It didn't look as if there was much traffic or other problems in there. "Alright. We should arrive tomorrow at this pace." He said, making quick calculations.

Rukia nodded. "Let's tell Urahara."

She called him from the ship and the Jedi Master answered. "Young Kurosaki, Young Kuchiki, I see you're on your way!" He exclaimed upon seeing them.

"Yes. We will arrive tomorrow to Hueco Mundo." Rukia told him.

Urahara nodded. "Excellent! According to the information I just received, you should have no problems getting there. Once you arrive, report immediately."

"Yes." Both said.

"Oh, and before you, remember don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Urahara said before he hung up.

"That guy's so weird." Kon muttered.

"You can say that again." Ichigo said. He then reclined back on his seat. "Well, from here on it's just gonna be a smooth ride." He said. The hard part had been breaking out of the atmosphere. Now they could relax.

"Good. I'm starving!" Rukia said and she stood up, presumably to the kitchen to eat.

Ichigo simply put the ship on autopilot and turned to Kon. "Keep an eye in here while we eat." And he stood up to leave before the android could complain.

He walked to where he knew Rukia would be, and sure enough, he found her rummaging in the cabinets. "What are you doing?" He asked her.

"Looking for something edible." She answered, not even bothering to look in his direction.

"You know mission food is always the same." Anything that could be frozen, dehydrated ad packed served as their food during their travels. They would have to eat at a restaurant once they landed to get actual food.

"A girl can only dream." She said, this time looking at him. He chuckled a bit.

Ichigo took out the first bag he saw in there, and started eating it. It was not bad, but it wasn't great either. It tasted like nothing. To be honest, that was one of the most annoying parts of traveling, right behind hanging out with Kon. As he ate, sitting on the table, he observed Rukia. She kept looking around the cabinets, until she settled for some fried fruit native of Coruscant. She joined him and started eating too.

"You'd think with all this technology we'd invent better space food." She mumbled between bites.

"Guess we're focusing the most in weapons." He added.

"By the way, did you bring guns beside your lightsaber?"

"Course I did. I brought three different kinds. Just in case."

Rukia nodded. "Me too. Would prefer it if we didn't engage in direct combat."

"What? Scared of a little action?" He asked her a bit sarcastically.

"I just don't want to stay there more than necessary. I just want us to get there, see what the problem is, investigate as much as we can, and come back without any other delay." She said, still munching on her food. "But with you around, it'll be almost impossible." She added as an after-thought.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" Ichigo asked, offended.

"Let's face it, trouble always follows you."

"What?! That's not true!"

"Name one time we didn't end up getting into fights with one group or another." Rukia said.

Ichigo stopped. He started thinking, remembering each and every single one of his missions. On his first mission ever with Urahara, he accidentally fell down a hole in a shady part of Galactic City. That led him to a drug dealing gang. Of course, the situation ended up in his fifteen year old self fighting with his new lightsaber a bunch of gang members. Urahara had to come back to rescue him. On his first mission with Rukia, they had ended up discovering a Sith Lord by accident, which basically ended up with them having to fight several androids, the Sith's student, and the Sith himself, before they could get back on their ship. Just last month, somehow they ended up in a bar fight after finishing their mission.

When he didn't answer, his partner smirked. "Told ya."

He grumbled. "Whatever. You know you like the action."

"That I can't deny." Then, she looked at her watch. "Better head to bed now. We have a long day tomorrow." She said, stretching and standing up.

Ichigo smirked, having an idea. He got to his feet, and encircled his arms around Rukia, pushing her against the counter. "Since I'm free for a while, why do you say we enjoy our time in bed?"

"Oh?" She said, clearly amused. "What were you thinking of?"

"You know, the usual. You. Me. No space between us. There's a specific move I've been meaning to try." He said, trying to play it cool, although he was getting pretty excited.

Rukia laughed. "Though that sounds delightful, I'm afraid I've already had my fair share of _action_ today." She said, her smile widening when Ichigo pouted.

"You weren't saying that earlier today." He mumbled.

Pulling away from his embrace, she sauntered away. "We can go back to it when we come back." Then she left him alone to his thoughts.

"Goddamnit."

Ichigo really did love her, but the woman drove him insane. He knew she was right. If they did anything in the ship, they risked Kon finding out, and he wasn't necessarily the most discreet android in the world. He would totally let it slip and if he did… Ichigo shivered. He didn't want to know what the council would do to them. Technically speaking, Jedi couldn't have romantic relationships of any kind, much less get married and start a family. Jedi couldn't have any attachments. There had been cases where they had renounced and moved to other places to be with their loved ones. Others had been punished severely, their reputations and their lives completely ruined. He didn't want that to happen to either of them. Both had their own ambitions. They wanted to become masters. He knew for a fact Rukia wanted to have a seat on the council. They wanted to save the world. But, he thought that night in bed, he loved her even more than being a Jedi and playing hero. Given the choice, he knew he would choose her. But would Rukia choose him if that ever came to be?

He was afraid to realize he didn't know the answer.

* * *

Next morning, Ichigo went early back to his seat. He was glad to see nothing seemed out of the ordinary and that Kon had actually behaved. He had breakfast with Rukia and both took their seats again. Time passed peacefully as they planned their mission. They would immediately present themselves to Queen Harribel, and then they would be briefed with more detail about the situation. Next they would scope the perimeter, looking for anything out of the ordinary. According to the information they would receive, they would act accordingly. If everything went fine, they would return tomorrow home and report to the council. It things were more complicated in reality… Well, they would just have to make due.

"So what do we know about Harribel?" Ichigo asked.

"She became queen after the previous king, Barragan, passed away. She was elected queen by the members of Hueco Mundo's council. She's young, a bit older than us, and will remain in office until her death." Rukia explained.

"So basically Hueco Mundo still has a monarchy."

"It's one of the few planets left with a full monarchy, yes."

Ichigo nodded. "Surprising the Supreme Chancellor hasn't made them become a democracy."

"Guess he doesn't want any more problems. Hueco Mundo's allegiance to the Republic is shaky as it is."

Hueco Mundo was one of the worst places to live in the whole universe. There was crime in every corner. It was probably infested with Sith too. Urahara had once tried to ask the Council to organize an operation to actually investigate the place, and take down any suspicious activity. However, it was rejected. No one wanted to spend resources in a planet that was deeply infested with criminals. What Ichigo and Rukia both feared was that certain planets got better treatment than others. The rest were left to do whatever they pleased, which meant more crime in the long run.

"And her reign is also shaky." Ichigo wondered.

"It seems Harribel's not like the previous king. She's imposing stricter laws."

"Which means giving criminals a hard time. Gotcha."

"She believes the people targeting her might be working for a Sith Lord."

"Then we'll totally have fun today." Ichigo said and she laughed.

"No calm mission for us."

"When has that ever been the case?"

Upon arriving, they were well-received by Harribel's people. They walked out and into her palace, Kon coming along.

"Listen, Kon." Rukia said dangerously before disembarking. "Queen Harribel has certain attributes you'll like. But you have to act accordingly."

"If you ruin this for us, I swear I'll tie you up in front of the ship, got it?" Ichigo said equally as menacingly.

"G-got it…" Kon had promised and, as he had told them, didn't really react when they finally were in front of the queen of Hueco Mundo.

"Greetings, Jedi Knights. I welcome you to my planet." Queen Harribel said, sitting on her throne.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Both said as they bowed down. Kon, albeit a bit later, bowed down too.

"Let's go to a more private place, shall we?" The queen said, raising from her seat and already walking down the hall.

Ichigo and Rukia eyed each other and then nodded. They followed Harribel until they reached a room, where tea and snaks waited for them.

"Please, have a sit." She said, gesturing to the table.

Both Jedi sat down and accepted the beverages they were given by the servants. Harribel waved them away, and only her personal guards, all female, remained.

"I assume Master Urahara has already informed you of the situation." She spoke.

"Briefly. We don't know all the details. He thought it'd be better if you told us yourself, Your Majesty." Rukia answered.

Harribel shook her head. "Don't be so formal with me. Even if I'm queen now, I come from humble origins. I know what it's like to live on the streets, trying to survive. I know what's like running away from thieves and bandits." She said with a faraway look on her face as she gazed at the window. "Which is why I made my way to the council, and here we are."

The two didn't say anything, they just listened to her. They had a feeling there was more to her story than they had previously thought.

"On my way to the top, I, of course, made some enemies. Some more insignificant than the others. But with my recent policies, I'm afraid I have offended someone of outmost importance." She said.

"Don't tell me it's a Sith Lord." Ichigo said, before he could stop himself.

Harribel chuckled. "Of course it is. This place is one of their many hideouts. They go around doing whatever they please, but now that I've made plans for more and better security, one of them wasn't pleased." She said.

"What is his name?" Rukia asked. "Perhaps we've heard from him."

"He calls himself Darth Insaniam. And he is as crazy as his name implies." The queen said as she took a sip from her cup. "My guards have already informed he's making his move, which is why I asked for your help."

"Tell us your orders." Rukia said.

"I'll be receiving the council today at their quarters. Insaniam will make an appearance and will attempt to assassinate me. I want you to apprehend him."

"It will be done."

"Marvelous. Then I'll let my guard help you secure the perimeter of the room."

With that, the queen dismissed them and, three hours later, both Jedi sat down, exhausted. They had already scoped the Council Headquarters as well as its surroundings. The security was adequate for what it was, but they made some improvements. More guards were appointed everywhere, and Harribel accepted to be personally escorted by the two of them until they reached the room. She did not want them inside the room when the meeting took place, so they were to wait outside until it was over. True to their words, Ichigo and Rukia escorted her from the palace to the council quarters, and remained with her until it was time for the meeting. Then, they exited the room and stood outside, guarding the door.

"Do you think he'll come?" Ichigo asked next to Rukia, keeping an eye on the corridor to his left.

"I'm sure he will. If we're lucky enough, we'll apprehend him without much trouble." She said.

"He's a Sith. He'll give us trouble."

"That's why I said if we're lucky."

They didn't say anything else, returning to guarding over the door. So far so good. There was no one around except for the guards. Feeling satisfied, Ichigo took his time to observe Rukia. She had been looking queasy all morning. She had barely had breakfast, even if their food was tasteless. And, after having tea with the queen, her stomach had been upset. He had tried asking her about it, but his partner had waved him off. Stubborn brat. She still look pale like in the day before, and although it was their job and he would need back up, if they had to fight, Ichigo didn't want her anywhere near the action. If she was feeling sick, she had no business fighting.

"Ten more minutes and the meeting will be over." Rukia said, making him focus on the mission and not on his thoughts.

Ichigo almost sighed in relief. "More than an hour has gone by, and there has been no sign of him."

"It's possible it was a false alarm." She added.

"Probably."

And just as they had uttered those last few words, there was an explosion on the corridor next to where they were. A few people swore as they dove for cover. Ichigo wrapped his arms around Rukia and pushed them to the floor. Kon moved in front of them and covered them up. Looking at his partner, he could tell that they both had the same thing in mind: Darth Insaniam had arrived.

"You stay here and guard the queen!" Ichigo said, sprinting into action.

"But Ichigo─"

"Kon!" He cut her off.

"Yeah?"

"Protect Rukia!" He said, before running towards where he could hear someone stomping.

"Ichigo!"

He ignored her call. It was imperative someone would stay to keep the queen safe, but it was also important the Sith was stopped before he could reach the queen. He run to the corridor, taking out one of his guns. Some guards were already shooting. Apparently they were being invaded by androids. Just great. He shoot several of them, as he ducked and ran at the same time. Finally, he was face to face with a dark figure surrounded by androids.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Kurosaki." The voice spat. Ichigo recognized that voice.

"Grimmjow?" He said out loud, shocked.

The figure took off his hood, revealing the face of a man. He had blue, spiky hair and was grinning manically at him. It was none other than Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, a rogue Jedi who had been involved with Orihime's kidnaping. Last time Ichigo had seen him was on the way to prison. Of course someone had freed him. Ichigo had no idea that had happened, much less that he was now a Sith, but it made sense. Grimmjow was from Hueco Mundo, and he had been involved in countless crimes all over the universe.

"Surprised to see me?" The man asked.

"Not as much as I should be." Ichigo answered, putting his gun away and taking out his saber.

"What are you doing here?" Grimmjow said, clearly relaxed.

"I could ask you the same thing."

He grinned. "I came here for the queen."

"What a coincidence. I'm here to stop the one who wants her." Ichigo said.

His grin grew even larger. "Then, there's only one thing left to do."

Grimmjow didn't even wait to finish the sentence before grabbing his saber and leaping towards Ichigo. The Jedi quickly blocked the attack and pushed him away. Both smiled cockily and pulled back.

"As fast as ever I see." The Sith commented.

"You too."

"You know, I've been dying to fight you again." Grimmjow said.

"Che. That's my line." Ichigo answered and attacked first.

They went around the whole place, lightsabers crashing with each thrust. They were evenly matched. Before, Grimmjow had almost managed to get the upper hand, but now, years later and after much training, Ichigo was in better form. But so was his foe. Grimmjow had grown even stronger and faster. It was taking all of his focus to block and duck each attack. Ideally, he would have needed his partner around to defeat him quickly. But there was no way he was letting Rukia anywhere near him now that he knew the Sith was Grimmjow. Not after last time.

"Where's your little partner?" Grimmjow asked as if reading his thoughts. "Don't tell me she didn't make it."

"Of course she did. She's keeping the queen safe while I kick your ass."

"Pity, I wanted to finish what I started last time."

"Don't even think about it!"

That had been one of the scariest moments in Ichigo's life. During that mission, Grimmjow had hurt Rukia real bad. He had made a whole in her stomach, and she had lost a lot of blood. Thankfully, Ishida had acted quickly and he had taken her to the ship, where he could attend her. Ichigo had been left by himself, enraged. He had fought Grimmjow until neither of them could move anymore, but the man had been saved by one of his accomplices. Ichigo had had to go on his mission, locating Orihime. He had left him go. But not this time. He would make him pay for almost killing Rukia that time.

Around them, there were no more androids. Behind him, he could hear the queen's guard dealing with them. He was sure Rukia and Kon were fighting too. That was good. It meant his sole focus would be on his opponent. He didn't know how much time had passed, but they had suddenly moved to a room, away from the queen. They had destroyed everything on their wake and now they stood side by side.

"You've given me a great fight today, Kurosaki." Grimmjow said, the red light from his saber making his grin looked even more sadistic. "But this is the end. I'm falling behind schedule, you see."

"Funny, I was about to say the same thing." He said.

The Sith smirked and then pulled out a second lightsaber. "Now it's on."

Ichigo leapt away, flipped in the air and came back to slash. Grimmjow blocked his attack and they moved around the room, repeating the same actions as before. They were getting tired already. Ichigo knew he needed to finish the fight soon. He applied more force to his next attack and managed to slam Grimmjow against a wall. The action made him lose one of his lightsabers. That deeply enraged him. Using the force, he made Ichigo lose balance and slam against the other wall, breaking it and landing into the next room. Groaning, he tried to sit only to watch as Grimmjow approached him, lightsaber in hand. Ichigo looked for his own finding it on the other side of the room. That wasn't good.

"This is where our little fight ends. Thanks for everything, Kurosaki, but this is the end." He said, raising his weapon to finish him off.

"Your end, you mean." Someone said, moving in front of Ichigo and blocking Grimmjow's attack.

"Rukia!" Ichigo exclaimed once he recognized his partner in front of him.

"Look who has come out to play." Grimmjow muttered.

"The queen's been secured. Now all we need is to catch this criminal." Rukia said, not even once taking her eyes from the Sith. "I'll take him now."

"Let's see if that can happen!" Grimmjow said and attacked.

Ichigo was worried. Rukia wasn't in the best of shapes. He could see she was tired by the way she was panting, and she also looked paler than before. This wasn't good at all. He stood up and winced. He definitely had a broken rib, but that could be taken care of later. He ran to his lightsaber, getting out of the way of the fight. When he reached it, it had been too late. Grimmjow had managed to take the lightsaber away from Rukia's hands, and had her in a vice grip.

"I've been waiting years for this moment." He said maniacally. "The day I'd finally kill you, Jedi scum."

Rukia didn't say anything. She just raised her hand and using all her energy, she managed to push Grimmjow away from her using the force, just in time for Ichigo to use his lightsaber and stabbed him in the chest. The Sith looked first at the Jedi Knight and then at his chest. Then, he laughed. It was a pitiful laugh.

"But of course. Only you, Kurosaki, only you." He muttered before collapsing. Whatever he had meant by that was lost to both Jedi.

"Rukia!" Ichigo said, running towards her.

"I'm fine." She said, though she was out of breath.

"No, you're not fine! I need you to take you to the infirmary!" He yelled, inspecting her for any visible wound.

"I'm fine. Really. Just tired. You're the injured man." She said, pointing at his forehead, where blood trailed down.

"Oh."

"Let's go."

There wasn't a lot to be done after that. The guards seized Grimmjow and then, upon inspecting him, declared him dead. The queen was already safe and sound in her palace. The Jedi went and had an audience with her, reporting what had happened during the attack. The queen had only thanked them, and had sent them to see her doctors, after she noticed they were in bad shape. Ichigo had been quickly cured, only after making sure Rukia wasn't actually hurt. Now that everything had passed, he didn't feel scared for her any longer. Instead, he was pissed. He had told her to stay behind, but had come to his rescue. She should have sent Kon, but no, she had to go and save him, almost getting killed in the process. The idiot. In his anger, he ignored her, only speaking when necessary. They boarded the ship after they weren't needed anymore. Ichigo set the course towards their home, while Rukia reported to Urahara. He put the ship on autopilot and left to his room, not even bothering to eat something. Even Kon didn't speak to him, and kept his mouth shut. Upon arriving, they reported everything to the council and returned to the temple, bags in hand. Rukia followed him wordlessly, knowing better than to try and talk to him. When Ichigo was mad, there was nothing you could say to make him feel better. He needed to calm down first. He went into his room, and Rukia went in behind him. She softly closed the door and sat down on his bed, waiting for him to talk.

"What was that?" He practically hissed.

"What was what?" Rukia countered instead of answering.

"Don't play dumb!" Ichigo yelled. "I'm asking what the fuck was that?!"

Although she flinched, she didn't back down. "I was doing my duty. Nothing more and nothing less."

"That was not your duty! I had him!" He retorted.

"Really? Then why were you laying on the floor?" She asked sarcastically.

"That's beside the point! You were supposed to keep the queen safe!"

"Which I did!" She yelled, offended at what Ichigo was implying. "She was already out of the building by the time I reached you!"

"You should've gone with her!"

"And leave you alone to die?! I don't think so!"

"Damnit all, Rukia!" Ichigo exclaimed. "You almost died today for trying to help me!"

"But I didn't! I'm fine, and you're fine, and we accomplished our mission! You should be happy!"

"But I'm not! You're sick! And you've been hiding something from me!" He finally addressed the elephant in the room. "How can I trust you'll be alright if you don't trust me enough to tell me what's going on? I thought we were partners." And he meant that in more ways than one.

Rukia didn't say anything. She looked to the ground, her hands grasping hard the sheets of the bed. "I don't know what you want me to tell you, Ichigo."

"The truth." He answered simply, much calmer after yelling.

She sighed and buried her head in her hands. "If I tell you, it'd be the end."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He exclaimed, clearly baffled by her words.

She looked up, eyes scared. "I'm pregnant." She whispered softly.

Ichigo's eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped. "You're… you're what now?" He said.

"Pregnant." Rukia answered once more, fear lacing her voice.

"Holy shit." He said, pacing around the room.

"Ichigo, I'm pregnant." She said again, alarmed.

"You mean to tell me you went on a mission while pregnant? Fuck! You fought while pregnant!" He said, waking from side to side.

"Ichigo." She called him.

That did it for him. He instantly went by her side and sat on the bed. "Oh, Rukia." He said. He pulled her towards him, letting her bury her head on his chest.

"What do we do now?" She whispered, clutching him for dear life.

A million thoughts raced in his mind.

Jedi couldn't have any attachments. They couldn't own properties. They couldn't have romantic relationships. They couldn't get married. They couldn't have children. They were sworn to a life of celibacy and attachment. To do the opposite was breaking the rules. But the two of them had willingly broken them to be together. They had thought that, if no one ever found out, they would be fine. But this changed everything. Even if Rukia got rid of it, someone would know. It wasn't a procedure that could be easily covered up. If someone found out, they would surely lose it all. They would be pariahs. Who knew what they would do to her. And Ichigo was sure she'd do anything to say he wasn't involved. She'd do anything to protect her.

He would do the same for her.

"You know, my dad went through something like this." He muttered.

Rukia sat straight and faced him. "What do you mean? Isn't your father just a doctor?"

He shook his head. "I thought so too. But two years ago he revealed everything to me." He paused, looking for the right words. "He was a Jedi like us." She gasped.

A couple of years ago, Ichigo had gotten a few days off. Naturally, he had gone back to his home planet to visit his family. Rukia, who almost always tagged along, had remained as she wanted to spend some time with her brother. Isshin, his father, had asked him about his relationship with his partner. Even if Ichigo had denied any relationship between them, his father knew better. He had warned him about the Jedi lifestyle before he began training. He hadn't listened to him. But, this time, Isshin wanted to be heard. So, he told Ichigo everything he had to know.

"He changed his name. Apparently, his real last name is Shiba." He said, and Rukia recognized the name instantly, for her own mentor had been the late Kaien Shiba. "He was about to become master, when he met my mother."

Masaki Kurosaki, a common girl from a common planet, had stolen Isshin's heart from the moment he had met her. They had spent time together during his brief stay in her planet, and even talked regularly after he had left. He had made a point to visit her regularly and, eventually, he couldn't lie to himself anymore. He had fallen in love with her. He thought he could wiggle his two lives together, and keep hidden the fact he was in a relationship. That didn't last long.

"After four years, Urahara discovered him. He gave him two choices, either he stopped seeing my mother and, if he refused, he would tell on him with the council. Or…"

"Or?" Rukia asked.

"Or he could leave and never come back."

Isshin had eloped without a second thought. He had left his weapons, his clothes, his everything. He rode a ship to Masaki's planet and they got married soon after. He took her last name and together they lived peacefully with their three children. He worked as a medic and they made enough money. No one recognized him as a former Jedi. Urahara had made sure to say he had died in action. Even after Masaki passed away, Isshin never spoke of his previous life and did not want to return to it. He didn't say anything either when Ichigo had been recruited as a child to become a Jedi or taken to Galactic City. He had kept quiet for decades. He had only decided to tell his son the truth when he saw history repeating itself in front of his own eyes.

"He left." Rukia said.

"Yeah, he did. And he told me he doesn't regret him. He said that if he could go back in time, he'd still make this choice." Ichigo explained.

"You're saying we elope?" She asked.

"I don't see what other choice we have." Ichigo said. If they were found out, Rukia's life could be in danger. He didn't want her to pay the price for their mistakes.

"But you can't leave!" She exclaimed. "You want to become a Jedi Master!"

"So do you." He said. "But I don't see what else we can do without endangering you."

"I could leave by myself." Rukia said. "Leave and take a new identity. And I can raise the baby by myself." She said, gently touching her belly.

"You want to keep it?" Ichigo asked, filled with emotion.

She smiled sweetly at him. "I can't get rid of our baby."

He choked back tears. "Shit." He cursed. "I don't want you to go through this by yourself." He said.

"I don't want you to leave your life behind." She said. "I don't want you to regret this."

Ichigo hugged her tenderly. "Oh, Rukia, I could never regret being with you." He said, kissing her head lovingly. "I choose you. Now and forever."

"Then what do we do?" She asked.

"We leave, together. I have a few planets in mind where we could take on new identities. I'm sure my dad will help us out. And then, we'll be saved, and so will our baby."

Rukia smiled. "Alright. I trust you."

"We leave tonight."

They packed the bare essentials and sneaked out of the temple. They left their lightsabers behind as well as all of their guns. They took the first ship they could to Ichigo's home planet without being spotted. There, a not at all surprised Isshin received them with open arms. They got married a week later. Next opportunity they got, they left for the most peaceful planet they could find and settled there. Rukia became a teacher and Ichigo decided to take after his father as a local medic. Their son was born a few months later, healthy and strong. Later on, he would ask them why they choice this life instead of continuing being Jedi. Both spouses would chuckle and smile.

"It wasn't a tough decision at all." They said. "We'll always choose each other and we'll always choose you."

For that was the force of their love.

* * *

 **A/N:** The second part of this story is unedited because I gor excited and it ended up being longer than I had intended and I also ran late, but what else is new. I apologize for any inconvenience.


	30. As the Sakura Petals Fall

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** Welcome to IR Month Day 3. Sorry I'm so late. Since my friend is getting married tomorrow, I've been looking for makeup tutorials so I don't go to her wedding looking like a clown lol. Anyway, here's the third prompt. To be honest, last year there was also a historical au prompt, and that really got me blocked. I do like IR historical AUs set in like Europe or fantasy European worlds. However, I do prefer it if they're set in Japan from other eras. But, if you remember from last year, I did write a fanfic for that prompt set in ancient Japan. That made me think about what I would write for this one. However, luckily I remember I had a prompt remaining from last year. Someone asked me for a story involving Samurai Ichigo and Noble Rukia. So here it is, according to those specifications. There are really no fights, and it's mostly an introspection fic, but there's romance. I do hope you like it. I enjoyed writing it. It's possibly not very accurate, since technically all I know from the Edo period comes from Rurouni Kenshin, but well, I minimized those detials as much as possible.

Thank you again for all of your review! I'm glad you all liked the previous one-shot. As for tomorrow's prompt, yeah, maybe I won't be able to update anything since I'm attending a wedding. But that might inspire me for more romance coming up, so that's good news for you.

See you soon!

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **Bleach Power:** Thank you! I'm glad you liked them! There were a bit tough to write.

* * *

As the Sakura Petals Fall

 **Prompt:** a historical au

 **Prompt:** Omg your taking request ! Pls write about samurai Ichigo and noble aristocrat Rukia. Anything in the edo period. I hope that's an idea you'd consider ^^ I love whatever you write anyways.

 **Summary:** Rukia's life changes forever when she meets Ichigo, a lone samurai. Will she defy her clan for him?

* * *

"Ojou-sama, are you ready?" Hinamori's voice could be heard in the small room.

Rukia didn't say anything. She merely looked at her reflection. Her lips had been painted red. Her hair was pulled back in an elaborated up-do. She was dressed in a white kimono, as pure as snow. She looked lovely. But she felt empty inside.

"Ojou-sama?" Hinamori asked again. Rukia finally turned to look at her servant. The young woman was looking at her with apprehension. "Are you alright?"

In any other case, Rukia would have smiled and nodded, pretending everything was fine. She was used to it, after all. All her life, she had only been pretending to feel different to what she truly felt, to be a complete different person. It was the burden of those born in noble clans. But today she just couldn't force herself to pretend. Much less in front of Hinamori Momo. She was not only her servant, but one of her few friends. And the only one who had any idea of what had happened to leave her in such a state. So, exhausted from life, she simply sighed and nodded, her gaze returning to the mirror.

Behind her, Hinamori sniffed, almost as if she were about to tear up. "You miss him, don't you?" She whispered the question. It was rhetorical. She already knew the answer.

"I do. But that changes nothing." Rukia said, defeated.

"That's not true!" Hinamori surprisingly yelled. "You can still go!"

"No, no I can't." She said, this time crying. "I'm getting married today." She said, heartbroken.

"Oh, ojou-sama." Hinamori said, pulling her in an embrace. "Things will get better."

Would they? Rukia asked herself. Not for the first time, she cursed the fact she had been born in the Kuchiki Clan. If she could have had a say, she would have wanted to have been born a normal girl, leaving a normal life. Not trapped inside her manor, about to be wedded to a stranger.

"If only Kurosaki-san were here, I wonder what he'd say to make you feel better." Hinamori mumbled, more to herself than to Rukia.

That was the problem. _That_ man was the problem. If only she hadn't met him, maybe she might have been excited at the prospect of getting married. Her groom was young and good looking from a respectable family. He seemed kind enough. They wouldn't live far away from her home. She could even bring Hinamori with her and visit her brother as much as she wanted to. It was more than other girls from important families had gotten. She should have been grateful, but she couldn't. All because she was already in love with someone else. She was crazy in love with Kurosaki Ichigo, a samurai so beneath her standing even thinking about marrying him, would have been a travesty. Still, she had wished for it. She had wished at night for him to whisk her away, to a place where her family would have never found her. However, when the time came, Rukia second-guessed herself. Not out of love, but out of a sense of duty deep ingrained in her. She realized she couldn't abandon her brother, so she left Ichigo go, only to regret her choice a few weeks later, when she had become betrothed to Kano Ashido. Her life had been chosen for her, even if she was to blame to.

Still, Rukia couldn't stop herself from fantasizing about another life. One in which her groom would be Ichigo, her love.

"I wonder that to."

* * *

Rukia still remembered when she had first met him. It was almost summer, and she had escaped from the manor, dressed as a commoner. She had done this countless of times as a child, when her previous mentor had showed her a way to get out of the manor unnoticed. She took every opportunity she could get to run away and explore the town. It was very lively and full with interesting people. It was there where she had met many of her friends, all penniless but oh so kind.

"Ojou-sama, wait up!" Hinamori yelled as she ran after her. Her personal maid and friend. She was always involved in her adventures, trying to keep her out of trouble.

Rukia simply laughed. "Come on, Momo, we need to make haste if we want to return soon!" She called back, making her way around town. That day was particularly sunny, and thus many people were out. She could see interesting things in the market that she wanted to buy. If she had enough time, she could probably go to Rangiku-san's teashop and gossip with her. Perhaps even get bread from Hisagi-san. Suddenly, something caught her attention. She stopped and went that way. It was a mirror embedded with jewels. It was truly beautiful.

"What's that?" Hinamori asked, panting. She had managed to catch up to her.

"A mirror. Isn't it beautiful?" She asked her, grabbing it and showing it to her friend.

"Hey, missy!" A voice boomed from behind her. "Stop touching it, you thief!"

Rukia couldn't help but feel offended. No one in her life had ever called her that. "I am no thief. I plan to buy it."

"Buy it?!" The man exclaimed. "With what money?! You look like a beggar!"

Truth be told, Rukia had dressed herself in some old rags Hinamori had laying around. She hadn't stopped to think she perhaps looked poorer than she had intended.

"I have some!" She said, searching in the bag she had brought to show him the coins. However, the owner of the stand stopped her and grabbed her hand forcefully. "Hey, let me go!"

"Never! You probably stole that, didn't you?!"

"Please, let her go!" Hinamori pleaded. "This is just a misunderstanding!" She said, trying to pull his hand away from Rukia's wrist.

"And you're her accomplice, aren't you?" The man said, slapping her hands away.

Hinamori yelled in pain, grabbing her arm.

"Momo!" Rukia shouted. Then, tried desperately to pull away. "Let go!"

"I'm taking you to the authorities!"

This was definitely getting out of hand. If she were to be taken to the police, no doubt she would be recognized. She didn't even want to think about what kind of punishment her brother would give her. Rukia looked around and grabbed the mirror with her other hand. It wouldn't be ideal, but maybe she could slam it on the man's head. That way, both she and Hinamori would be able to escape. However, just before she could enact her plan, someone suddenly arrived.

"Let her go." A man said murderously. Rukia turned around and saw a young man, perhaps about her age, dressed in torn clothes. He had tan skin from the sun. And he was carrying a katana. His most striking feature, however, was his bright orange hair. He clearly had a dangerous aura about him.

"Who are you?" The other man said, not even attempting to let Rukia go.

"I said let her go." The stranger hissed. "She did nothing wrong. It's you who judged her without even knowing her."

"Why would I listen to a lowly samurai like you?" The gruff man said with contempt.

Then, in the blink of an eye, Rukia was free. The stranger had taken out his katana, and had hit the man with its sheath, careful to not hurt her, but with enough force to make the man double over in pain.

"Why you little─?" The man said from the floor, trying to get up to attack.

The stranger pointed at him with his blade. "I don't want to see you laying one hand on a person just because of their appearance, much less a woman. If I see you doing that again, I'll end you."

"I… I won't do it again!" The man said, and, scrambling up, he ran away.

Rukia stared wide-eyed at the stranger. "Th-thank you." She stuttered.

"It was no problem." He answered, sheathing his sword.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" She asked him. In her eyes, he deserved a reward.

"Nah. Just get home safe, miss." The man answered. He started walking away, leaving a confused audience behind. Then, he stumbled on his feet and feel to the ground.

Rukia rushed to him, and she gently turned his body on his back. Hinamori came to her side and both looked at the man. Blood was starting to taint his clothes.

"He's injured!" Momo exclaimed.

Rukia applied pressure to the wound and then looked around. "Someone, please help him!" Nobody from the crowd move. Rukia cursed. She would need to carry him to her manor with only Hinamori's help. It would be a difficult feat since he was much taller than they were.

"Girls!" A voice yelled at them. Looking around, they found a man older than them approaching them.

"Hisagi-san!" Rukia exclaimed.

"What happened?" The baker asked, assessing the situation.

"He's bleeding! We need to get him to my house!" She said. Wordlessly, Hisagi stood up and with her help, he managed to carry the man on his back. Rukia then turned to Hinamori. "Go get Hanatarou, quick!"

Momo left immediately, going to look for their friend at the local clinic. Meanwhile, Rukia helped Hisagi as much as she could until they reached the backdoor to the Kuchiki Manor. Thankfully, no servants were around the luscious garden. She helped Hisagi slipped around unnoticed, and guided him to her room. There, they lay the man on the floor. Hisagi stripped him from his tunic, showing many bandages soaked in blood.

"Dear god." Hisagi muttered. "That's a nasty wound."

It was. It would no doubt leave a scar if the man survived.

Seconds later, Hinamori arrived with Hanatarou. He quickly cleaned the wound and closed it. The man never woke up once even if that must have hurt. The young medic checked him up, looking for more wounds. Eventually, he decided the man would survive only if he was given the special medicine he had prepared. Hisagi volunteered himself to take care of him, but Hanatarou said moving him could kill him. Thinking fast, Rukia decided to let him stay with her. Nobody really bothered her unless she was summoned. Most days she ate by herself. It was perfect. The two young men left with Hanatarou promising he'd visit soon. Hinamori helped her out of her clothes and into her normal kimono. Then, she left her to attend to her normal duties. Rukia sat down next to the man, sighing in relief. He would be fine. He would recover. And that was what she wanted the most. It was the least she could do after he had saved her from more than he could understand.

As she watched over him, Rukia took the time to observe him. Now that he looked at him, he was a handsome man. He had a strong jaw, chiseled nose, long eyelashes, and a nice body, if she said so herself. She idly wondered why he had come to this town. He had never been there from the looks of it. Why would a samurai be in such a peaceful place? He should have been at one of the wars, or serving a lord. Perhaps he had come to offer his services to her brother. Or he was just passing through. Whatever the case, all her thoughts flew out of the window when he started to wake up.

"Where am I?" He muttered, voice coming out gruff.

"In my house." Rukia answered.

"Wait, what?!" The man exclaimed, trying to sit up. She gently pushed him down.

"Calm down or your wounds will reopen."

"You're the girl from before." He muttered in disbelief.

"Yes. Thanks again for your help."

"You're not a poor peasant, are you?" He said, noticing the room and her very expensive kimono.

"No." Rukia simply said. "I was sneaking into town. If that man had taken me to the police, it would have been troublesome."

He nodded. "Right…" He coughed and then looked at her. "How did you even bring me here?"

"A friend helped. And another one took care of your wounds. You'll be fine as long as you rest and take your medicine." Rukia explained.

"Can't do it." He said simply.

"What? Why not?"

"'Cause I have nowhere to go. I was actually on my way back home." He said. "And I don't have the money to stay in an inn."

"You could stay here." Rukia offered.

"Can't abuse of your hospitality. I'm sure your husband wouldn't be happy about this situation."

She chuckled. "I'm not married. And although my brother could oppose to this, he doesn't need to find out. You see, most people don't come to this wing of the manor. As long as I'm always around, you can stay hidden."

"Wow." He whispered. "I really don't know what to say."

"Take it as a thank you for your help earlier." She said.

"Then, if you're sure it won't trouble you, I accept miss."

"I'm not miss." Rukia said playfully. "I'm Kuchiki Rukia."

"My name's Kurosaki Ichigo."

That was just the beginning of everything.

* * *

The first few days, Ichigo did nothing but sleep. His wound had been pretty deep, and he would only heal if he rested. Or that had been what Hanatarou had told her. In that time, Rukia watched over him. She didn't feel confident enough to leave him by himself. Besides, it was not unusual for her to not leave her room unless she had to. Nobody came asking for her, and it was Hinamori who cleaned the room and brought them food. They both changed his bandages and gave him his medicine. But, when he was awake, he asked a lot of questions. Some were infuriating, others were easier to answer. The nights were the hardest part. Rukia didn't leave the room. It was hers after all, and it would have been suspicious if she suddenly slept somewhere else. So she lay down her futon next to his, and tried to sleep. It was embarrassing at first. Other than her brother, she had never been so close to a man before. She should have feared he would try to do something vulgar to her, but somehow, she trusted him. Eventually, she would fall asleep, only to be woken up by his nightmares. He didn't scream, but he did moan in pain. At first, Rukia hadn't known what to do, but she had soon found out caressing his hair would calm him down.

After the first three days, things became easier. Ichigo didn't sleep as much, and so Rukia found himself spending time with him. They would talk about their lives. Ichigo avoided telling her about his life as a samurai, but he enjoyed talking about his family and his hometown.

"My father's crazy." He would tell her. "When I was ten, old goat chin tried to betroth me to every girl he saw."

Rukia would laugh at his stories until her tummy ached. "And your sisters?"

"Yuzu is kind and a great cook too. I fear the day when a man will make her his wife. Nobody deserves her." She would chuckle at that. Being an overprotective brother suited Ichigo. "She's also like a tiny mom. She makes me feel as if I was the younger brother sometimes. And then there's Karin, and I'm afraid she's too much like me. Stubborn and headstrong. Can't see her as a housewife. If she had been born a man, I'm sure she would've been the best samurai."

"And your mother?" She asked him one day.

Ichigo's eyes grew sad and then shook his head. "I lost her when I was eight. But she was the best mom in the world."

Then, their conversations would turn to be about her. Ichigo wanted to know as much about her as she wanted to know about him.

"My parents died when I was very young." She said. "Both from a sickness. I was raised by my grandfather, but he passed away years ago. I've lived with my older brother and the elders ever since."

Rukia would tell her about her life in the manor. Although Grandfather Ginrei had wanted the best for her, she simply didn't fit in. She was too wild for the nobles. Too stubborn. Too unladylike. She preferred swords to dolls, climbing trees to ikebana. They feared for the man who would eventually marry her. Byakuya had done whatever he could to rein her in. He had taught her calligraphy. He had hired the best tutors for her. She knew how to sing and how to dance. She knew how to ride horses. She knew how to make flower arrangements and how to sew. Bu Rukia never exceeded expectations. She wanted to be a fighter. She admired the heroes from the stories she would read. She wanted to be just like them, living adventures. But every time she discussed her dreams, the elders would sneer at her and Byakuya would shook his head.

"No offense, but your brother sounds like a dick." Ichigo would say. "It's an older brother's duty to protect his younger sister." He would proclaim.

Rukia would laugh, although, deep down, she would feel touched that someone would care.

* * *

Ichigo's strength recovered little by little. As it did, Rukia found doing more activities with him. In the afternoons, she would read to him her books out loud. It soothed him. They could spend hours and hours talking about their favorite chapters from each novel, about the best verses in the poetry they would read, and who was the best author out of them. They would also play board games. Rukia was competitive but Ichigo was too. There was never a day where they could play peacefully without one of them getting angry. They bickered a lot too over the silliest things. She had gotten mad at Ichigo when he had insulted her drawings. He had gotten pissed when she had told him he was a fool. However, their bickering was never meant to actually hurt. It was a fun pastime. Rukia had never had the chance to be herself with anyone. Only Ichigo could awaken that side of her. Hinamori, who joined them for dinner, would be amused at their antics. She was the one who had more stories to tell, about town, the other servants, and whatever gossip was going around. She was Ichigo's only source to the outside world. He took in whatever information he could get. Some days, Hanatarou would come to visit to make sure he was healing properly. Each day, he got better and better. Rukia felt relieved. She didn't want him to die. More than anything, she wanted for him to be healthy and happy. So, at nighttime, she would stay awake until he fell asleep next to her. She would watch the soothing sight of his chest rising and falling, his eyes closed, and a peaceful expression on his face. Her cheeks would turn red from observing him so much, and then she would fall asleep.

Those days were perfect.

By midsummer, Ichigo could walk again. At night, Rukia would show him the gardens, watching out for any servants. Luckily, no one found them out. Together, they would gaze at the stars. Ichigo would tell her stories he had heard while in the war.

"If you make a wish to a shooting star, it will surely come true." Ichigo told her one night, as meteors rained down on them.

Rukia had wished for these moments to never end.

Ichigo had wished for the same thing.

And, as he opened up, he started telling her more about himself.

"My mother was killed by a thief." He had told her one day. "That's why I chose to become a samurai. I thought I'd be able to protect people.

"It wasn't the best decision. I saw so much blood back then." He had added.

"A lot of people died."

"I still have nightmares, about those I killed."

Rukia's heart hurt for him. She didn't want him to suffer, but she could see his past sins weighted him down.

"That's why I quitted. I wanted to return home and work with my father back in my peaceful town." He confessed one night.

"Wanted?" She asked. Rukia hadn't missed his use of past tense. "You don't want that anymore?"

"No." Ichigo had said, and his deep brown eyes had bored down in hers, making her feel emotions she hadn't known existed.

It was only after one night they were sitting under the sakura tree close to her room, his arm around her shoulders and his lips close to hers, that Rukia realized she had fallen in love with him. The thought wasn't as scary as it should have been. She just felt peace. She felt that that was her destiny. That, somehow, someway, they were meant to be right there, in that moment, loving each other in the way they did. With few words, with few touches, but with open hearts. Ichigo was the most amazing man she had ever met. As much as she called him foolish, he possessed a certain intelligence that went beyond science. He knew how to control himself and he knew what he wanted. He was brave enough to admit when he had made a mistake, and even braver for trying to make things better. He was kind. He wasn't conceited. He thought about others before he thought of himself. He was selfless and interesting and courageous. There were no men like Kurosaki Ichigo. Above all else, he understood her more than anyone.

Rukia could have easily lived a thousand lifetimes like this, just sitting by his side.

Sadly, like summers, all things must end.

When Hanatarou deemed him healthy enough to leave, Rukia felt pain in her heart. She didn't want him to leave, but she knew he couldn't stay. Brother would have killed him on the spot had he found out he had been staying in the same room as hers. He also had a family, younger sisters who looked up to him, an aging father who would need his help. She couldn't very well ask him to stay with her, hidden from the world. Ichigo was meant for so much more. There were things he still needed to do. This was why she wasn't surprised when, one day, Ichigo told her he wanted to leave. What surprised her, however, had been his proposition.

"Do you like it here?" He had asked her under the sakura tree.

"Not so much." She had answered honestly. "Before you arrived, I sneaked out of the house whenever I could."

"Then, if you don't want to be here, why don't you leave with me?"

There was more to that question than words could express. Rukia understood perfectly what he meant. Her heart soared to the skies, and her knees weakened when she saw his eyes. They were warm and full of life and promises of what awaited them. It would have been so easily to say yes, to leap into his arms and let him whisk her away. Had she been any other person, she would have gone with Ichigo that night. But she wasn't an ordinary girl. She was a noble. She had a family and expectations to fulfill. She couldn't disappoint brother any more than she had done. Her clan would disapprove. They might even attempt to imprison Ichigo. He couldn't do that to him.

It was with a heavy heart she pushed him away and told him she couldn't. Ichigo had nodded and returned to the room. Neither could sleep and, the next day, he left without a promise to come back. She had watched him leave. Ichigo only turned once, giving her one last chance to change her mind, but she stayed rooted to her place, nails digging into her skin until it bleed only to keep her from running into his arms. When she didn't move, he turned around and left for good. But Rukia would never forget the way his brown eyes had looked, as if all happiness had evaporated from him. As if life were over.

Now life was over for Rukia. A few weeks later, Byakuya had informed her a noble from a nearby place had asked for her hand in marriage. Kano Ashido was his name. He was young, successful, _rich_. Rangiku-san had assured her he was kind and handsome. Byakuya hadn't even waited for her reply before announcing the elders had approved of the marriage, and that they would be wedded soon. It felt as if the gods themselves were making fun of her. _This is your punishment_. They said. _You let go real love, and this is how you will pay_. But in all that time, it hadn't quite set in that she would soon be married to someone else until that morning when Hinamori and other maids helped her dress for the occasion. In a few hours, she would be Kano Ashido's blushing bride.

Hinamori had tried to comfort her as best as she could, but it made no difference. The only one who could make her happy was Ichigo himself. Rukia knew she would never be happy with any other man.

* * *

If Rukia had to explain what she felt for Ichigo, she would compare him to the sun. She didn't know him inside out the way she didn't know the sun. She was not a man of science. She didn't know how old the sun was nor what it was made of. She didn't know exactly how far away from Earth it was, nor if it was actually a deity or just a big ball of gas. But Rukia knew the important things. She knew when it rose and when it set. She knew it brought warmth to all living things. She knew it helped plans grow and that it dried clothes after being washed. That is how she knew Ichigo. She didn't know how he acted as a child, or how he was before the war. She didn't know his favorite color nor his favorite food. She had no idea of what kind of place he had grown up in, and she had never met his family. He never spoke about his friends, or of he had pets as a child. But what Rukia knew was more substantial. She knew he liked reading, and adventure stories were his favorite. He enjoyed long walks during the early mornings. He was competitive and stubborn and a little crass. He was a gentleman. He was overprotective of his sisters and he missed his mother. He liked sleeping with toys as a child. He slept on his side. He still had nightmares from the war and could only calm down if she caressed his hair. He wanted to protect everyone even if that was impossible. He was warm, warm like the sun. That was who Ichigo was.

She shouldn't have taken him for granted. She should have gone with him. But now it was too late. Or was it? Did Rukia still have a chance?

"Momo." She said, standing up and starting to take off her robes.

"Ojou-sama?" Hinamori asked her, surprised.

"Let's go."

* * *

Escaping had been easier than Rukia would have thought. Hinamori had quickly helped her out of her clothes and cleaned her face. They had packed a few clothes, and Hinamori had sneaked in and stolen food for the way. They had dressed in normal clothes and had left the state without being seen. Rukia had only left behind a letter addressed to Byakuya, explaining her reasons. If she was lucky, he would understand. As the girls reached town, they had run into Hisagi, who knew what was going on. He had told him he would escort them to Karakura, along with Kira, their other friend. The trip had been peaceful. They had taken a carriage and then they had traveled by foot the whole way. A big sign had announced them they had reached the town. After that, it hadn't been difficult to ask for the Kurosaki residence. Apparently, they were well-known. Reaching it hadn't been difficult either, it was a big manor, less grand than her family's, but still big. It was only after she stood beside a sakura tree that she hesitated.

"What if he doesn't want to see me?" Rukia said suddenly, pacing around.

"I'm sure he wants to see you." Momo reassured her.

"What if he's married now?" She asked again.

"Doubt he would've gotten married so soon." Hisagi muttered.

"What if he wanted me for my money?" She wondered.

"You know Kurosaki-san is not like that." Hinamori told her.

"What if he didn't miss me?" She whispered to the air.

"Of course I missed you." A voice said behind her.

Rukia gasped and turned around. There, in all his glory, stood Kurosaki Ichigo. His hair was a bit shorter, his clothes were no longer rags and his katana was missing.

"Ichigo." She whispered.

"Yo." He said, approaching her. The rest walked away, letting them have space. "Long time no see, Rukia."

"I…" She stumbled over her words, not knowing what to say.

"So, what are you doing here?" He asked her, cutting to the chase.

"I was supposed to get married." Rukia found herself saying.

"Oh? When was that?" He asked, composed.

"A few days ago." She answered.

"And why are you here and not with your groom?" Ichigo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He was a stranger. I didn't want to marry him."

"Understandable."

"I didn't want to be used by the clan either." She said.

"That wouldn't suit you."

"I never felt at home there." She told him.

"I know." Ichigo simply said.

"But I realized that I had found my home all along." Rukia said.

"And where's that?"

"With you." She whispered.

Ichigo smiled at her, making her heart race. "I was hoping you'd say that."

There was no more to be said. She shortened the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close to her. Their lips met instantly as the petals from the sakura tree fell around them. There was no more to be said other than the promise they had silently made to each other. They were married a week later, the whole town being witnessed to their wedding. And every year, Ichigo and Rukia would walk to the sakura tree and reminisce on the time she escaped home and travel all the way to Karakura just to accept his proposal.

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for any mistakes. I didn't edit beforehand.


	31. Late Night Kisses

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** Welcome to IR Month Day 4. I'm sorry I didn't upload yesterday. Basically what happened was that my wifi signal was shitty and I couldn't connect to FF, my family was being a pest, and I was annoyed by everything. I wasn't exactly in the best mindset to write this story. However, here I am. This little one-shot is basically based on my frustrated dreams from college. My boyfriend at the time didn't like to study with me because he said I distracted him, and we didn't even sit together in the classes we shared. Well, he missed the opportunity of my very successful study sessions and a kiss as a reward for his hardwork, lol. Thankfully, I can write this scenario with my favorite dorks Ichigo and Rukia. Hope you all enjoy it! I'll try to upload the next prompt today. I don't promise anything about the prompt for day 6, even if I have something written down for that one already. On a side note, have you guys noticed this year we've gotten less fan works for IR Month. I guess either we're dying already or everyone's busy. Anyway, I'll keep on writing for this fandom because you guys give me so much joy!

Hope you enjoy this story! Thanks again for your support!

See you later!

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **Bleach Power:** Thank you! And I had an awesome time at her wedding. It was very sweet!

* * *

Late Night Kisses

 **Prompt:** a college au

 **Summary:** A late night study session between Ichigo and Rukia turns into so much more.

* * *

Finals were the worst. Sure, teachers graded you on what you were supposed to have learned already, but still. It was a whole week of suffering. Even worse when three exams piled on the exact same day. If this happened this semester too, Ichigo might as well just shoot himself in the face. It'd hurt less. It was his fault, though. Seriously, no one forced him to study two majors at the exact same time. Now he had to worry about all his literature courses as well as his language courses and his elective course on philosophy. The last one should have been easy enough if only the teacher made sense. Every time she spoke, Ichigo felt as if every bit of information went from one ear to the other. She mentioned many philosophers he had never heard about in his life, and all of their theories thinking they were supposed to have known them already. Well, sadly public school wasn't as great as it should have been, and Ichigo had no idea what she yapped about most of the time. To think he was on his second year, and he still had about two years and a half left of university. Add that to the fact he planned on studying a master's degree and you get the idea.

He groaned loudly. Today was Sunday and starting next day he'd have to pass his philosophy exam. Joy.

"Quit complaining." A voice muttered next to him.

Ichigo turned to look at the person who had interrupted his self-pity. It was Kuchiki Rukia, a psychology major who happened to be taking the exact same philosophy course as him. Apparently both literature and psychology majors needed to know about philosophy. Who would have thought? They had met earlier in the last semester and had hit it off quite well. It was a surprise when they ended up choosing the same elective, and so far they had been sitting right next to each other. Now that the final exam was coming up, Rukia had suggested they study together and compare notes. He had accepted because she was one of the smartest people he had ever met. Surely she would know whatever had been going on in class the entire time.

"Can't help it. I'm tired." Ichigo muttered, rubbing his eyes. "We've been studying the whole day without rest and it's nighttime already."

"And we're not even deep yet into the source material." She said, reading from her notes. "I still don't get the latter half from the course."

"Ugh. Me neither. It was as if she had been speaking in another language." Ichigo said. "Like, she relates Hegel to another guy from another time period. What the hell? We've never seen that."

"That's true. The teacher assumes we've studied that already, and when you ask questions she tells you that you were supposed to know that." Rukia said, rubbing her temples.

"So you have no idea what she meant by that?" Ichigo said, pointing to her notes.

"Nope."

"We're doomed."

If Rukia, Miss I-went-to-one-of-the-best-private-schools-in-Tokyo, didn't know what their teacher had been on about, they were seriously screwed. There was no way Ichigo would get more than an 80, and that was being optimistic. He was on a scholarship and he needed to get good grades. He just couldn't afford the risk of failing this subject, especially because he had been the one to choose it instead of electing an easier course. He had figured that having knowledge of many philosophical currents would help him analyze texts using a philosophical theory approach. Never mind those works which were heavily based on philosophy that he needed to understand. Japanese philosophy he got just fine. Ichigo remembered most about it for he had studied that in high school. European philosophy on the other hand… It was tricky. Western and Eastern views were very different from each other. And their teacher had a penchant for Western philosophers. Realistically speaking, Ichigo needed to get that knowledge for he had European Literature and American Literature courses coming up, but he just couldn't understand shit.

Rukia was another one that couldn't risk getting a bad grade. Ichigo firmly believed there was no way she would flunk the subject, but her brother was very strict. Anything else than a 90 would be frowned upon. And for the great magnate Kuchiki Byakuya getting a 90 was like getting a 60. Poor Rukia had to get perfect scores on every course. Funnily enough, she had confessed she had always struggled with school. The only reason she now got good grades was because she always studied ahead and asked all the right questions in class. She had been studying religiously the whole semester, and even she was struggling to understand. Ichigo could see she was exhausted. Like him, she had to worry about other subjects and, as such, she had been staying up late to study. She had dark circles under her eyes, and she looked paler than usual. It wouldn't do if Rukia got herself sick from studying so much.

"Alright." Ichigo said, standing up and stretching. "That's it."

Rukia looked up from the table. "What? No, you can't quit just yet! We're still missing a good chunk of what we saw the last few weeks!" She exclaimed.

"I'm not quitting. I'm just taking a break."

"We can't take any breaks! The exam's tomorrow at 10! We can't fail this!" She said, standing up and yelling in his face. Ichigo didn't take it personal. He could see she was frazzled.

"Look, we're both tired as hell. And I don't know about you, but I'm hungry and I need real food, not munching on chips." He said, gesturing to how Rukia's living room was covered with chip bags. "If we keep going on, we'll just get burnt out and understand even less. I suggest we take a break and eat. We can continue later." He explained.

Rukia looked as if she was going to object and then stopped. "Fine. But can we at least get pizza? I'm starving."

"On it." He said, taking out his phone.

An extra big peperoni pizza with extra cheese order later, both students were sitting on the couch staring at the ceiling. Their minds had gotten fried from so much studying. Dimly, Ichigo studied his surroundings. He had been to Rukia's apartment before, but only now was he noticing the little details. She lived in the nicest part of town near university and it showed. The ceilings and walls weren't cracked. The living room, kitchen and bedroom had a decent space. And it was elegantly decorated. Much better than the cheap apartment he shared with Ishida. But, there was something about it that bothered him. It looked as if it could have been on the cover of one of those designing magazines, and that was the problem. It was impersonal, as if Rukia hadn't actually lived in it. Which was probably the truth. Between studying and classes, Rukia was never really home. She preferred eating in the cafeteria and studying in the library. One time when asked, she had confessed to Ichigo she felt suffocated in her place. She much rather spent time in his place, even if it was small and crowded.

"Maybe we should ask Ishida." Rukia told him, breaking the silence.

"What for?"

"He knows German. Perhaps he's read philosophy books."

"I bet his nerdy ass has."

Ishida was perhaps the most intelligent person Ichigo had ever met. Academic-wise, he meant. He knew all kinds of things most people would have thought useless. He knew German, and he read scientific books for fun. He could have very well been a doctor, an engineer, a scientist, and astronaut or all if he wanted. However, Ishida's true passion was sewing and he was now studying fashion design. His choice had gotten him disowned, and that's why he was sharing an apartment with Ichigo. They were both high school friends as well as cousins. Neither could very well pay for college _and_ a place. They each got scholarships, part-time jobs, and they shared rent. It was a good deal, even if they bickered all the time.

"So?" Rukia said when Ichigo didn't say anything else.

"Sorry, we can't. The guy's been hiding in his room like a hermit for two weeks now working on his final projects." One of the advantages of studying a more artistic major was that all exams were practical. That was a disadvantage in itself if you counted how many hours they had to work on those projects. "I don't really want to disturb him."

"I understand." She told him. Then she whined in exasperation. "I can't believe that even after studying the whole semester, reading other books, looking things up on the internet, and asking many questions, I still don't get anything!" She said. "I'm so going to flunk this exam, and then nii-sama is going to disinherit me, and then I'll lose my place here, and I won't be able to finish university, never mind that I'll be homeless, but I also won't get a job because I won't have qualifications since I didn't finish college because nii-sama disinherited me because I failed this stupid exam!" Rukia ranted and Ichigo could see she was a philosopher away from having a full-blown mental break-down.

"Hey." He said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You're not gonna fail, and you're not gonna get disinherited or the rest of the things you're imagining. We'll get through it, even if not exactly with flying colors. So calm down. We'll eat and then study some more. We could even study before the exam together again."

"I'd like that." She said meekly. Then, she smiled at him with that smile that melted his heart. "Thanks Ichigo, you always know how to cheer me up."

Ichigo felt his cheeks burning. He hoped she hadn't noticed. "Heh. It's nothing." He said, scratching the back of his head.

"Still, thank you, for everything."

Something in the way Rukia said it, and the way her eyes shone when she looked at him, made Ichigo lean towards her. She was so close but she could be closer. She leaned in too, and just when they were almost touching, someone rang the bell. They both yelped and jumped away from each other, cheeks blushing.

"It must be the pizza guy." She said, already standing up.

"Yeah." He said. "Here." She told her, handing her money.

"Don't worry. I got it. I invited you over after all."

She went to the door and Ichigo sighed. He put a hand on his chest. It was beating faster than normal. It was getting more difficult to control each day that passed. Ichigo wasn't stupid, he knew what was going on here. He liked Rukia, as more than just a friend. Slowly but surely, he had fallen in love for her. But did she fell the same? He had seen it before, the way she would look at him. There were times he thought she felt the same way as he did. Like a moment ago, how she had leaned close to him too. Although, there were other days she put distance between the two. The mixed signals made him hesitate. Ichigo didn't want to ruin their friendship because of his dumb feelings.

"I'm back!" Rukia said cheerfully, putting the pizza box on the table.

"Should I go get plates?" He asked.

"Nah, don't even bother. I don't want to wash the dishes. Let's just use napkins."

Silently, they ate their pizza. It was probably the best pizza Ichigo had ever eaten. No joke. Rukia seemed to agree by the way she moaned with each bite.

"Oi, stop that." He told her.

"Stop what?" She asked, confused.

"The noises you make when you eat."

"Can't help it, I'm hungry and the pizza's delicious."

"Che. And you were the one who didn't want to stop to eat." He added, eating another slice.

"That's why you're here. To ground me when I overreact." She told him, looking at him in the eye.

Ichigo felt himself becoming flustered. "I thought I was here to learn something from you."

Rukia chuckled. "Sadly we possess the same knowledge. That being nothing."

"Hey." He said, touching her hand when he thought she was feeling sad. "It's not your fault. I bet the whole class is feeling the same thing. But we'll keep studying and we'll do our best."

She looked at him with those big eyes of hers and squeezed her hand back. "Thanks. Really, thank you for all the support."

"That's my line. Without you I surely would've failed the midterm." Ichigo told her.

"No, you wouldn't have." Rukia said, shaking her head. "But you wouldn't have gotten a 92 for sure."

They both snorted and the snorts soon became uncontrolled laughter. That happened every single time they were together. They could be stressing out, fighting, complaining, but at the end of the day, they always ended up laughing. It was why he loved Rukia. She always brought out the best part about himself. He could be himself with her without fearing being judged. It was the same for her. Ichigo would never judge her for being who she was. God knew her family already did that to her. She didn't deserve it. Rukia might as well have been the most endearing girl in the whole world.

"I love this." Rukia suddenly whispered, gesturing to her, Ichigo and the pizza.

"Me too." He said, knowing exactly what she meant.

Ichigo wasn't sure who leaned in first, but the next thing he knew was that the softest lips were pressed against Rukia. Holy shit, he was finally kissing her! In shock, he pulled away, and gaped at her. She was looking smugly at him, though her cheeks were painted pink.

"What?" She said, feigning surprise. "Cat got your tongue?"

He sighed. "Way to ruin the mood, Rukia." Why did he even like her in the first place?

"We can always start over." She said, already getting closer to him.

There was his answer.

They leaned closer again and, this time, they leaned in deliberately. Ichigo put a hand against her cheek, while Rukia grabbed his shirt. Their second kiss was slower and deeper than the first one. They closed their eyes and enjoyed all the sensations a single kiss was giving them. Rukia tasted heavenly. A combination of strawberry, vanilla and pizza. Somehow it was divine. She seemed to be enjoying herself too, given the sounds she was making. They pulled away and gazed into their eyes.

"I like you." They said at the exact same time, making both laughed.

"Okay, that was creepy." Ichigo said, chuckling.

"Yeah, Ichigo, get out of my mind." Rukia said, still grinning at him. He grinned back.

Next thing he knew, Rukia's mouth was against his once again, and her arms were wrapped around his neck, pulling him into a passionate kiss. He reacted accordingly, holding her with one arm on the hips, and the other on the back of her head. In an instant, they were making out, Rukia straddling him while he happily held her in place. He was in cloud nine. Ichigo started trailing kisses down her neck, while she gasped and moaned his name. Studying definitely had been forgotten.

"What about the exam?" Rukia asked after much kissing.

"Do you really wanna go back to studying?" Ichigo asked. Even if it had come out sarcastically, if she told him to stop, he would. Their exam was important after all.

"I think we deserve a break after much hard work, don't you think?" She said, already back in his arms.

"You took the words out of my mind."

As they kept on kissing, Ichigo couldn't believe his luck. Tomorrow's exam was long since forgotten. He didn't care if he failed it if the price to pay was finally being able to kiss and hold Rukia like he had wanted to do for months now. And, if Miss I-am-always-responsible didn't care, he didn't either. What was a test in comparison to kissing your girlfriend?

By the time they disentangled from each other, it was already midnight. They had stayed up that long and not precisely to study. Sheepishly, they grabbed their books again, stealing kisses in between the studying. Ichigo didn't care about his grade anymore. Looking at Rukia, he could see she felt that way too. Well, one thing was certain. He wouldn't mind studying with her late into the night again if the activity included kissing and hugs.

* * *

 **A/N:** Ichigo's major is the same one I studied. Also, their philosophy teacher is an exaggerated version of a philosophy teacher I had in colleged, though that subject wasn't optional like in here.


	32. Survive

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** Hey. So, so sorry for not uploading anything in these past two days. I honestly had already written an idea for prompt five, but I needed to finish the other half. However, certain circumstances impeded me from finishing it. The first one is personal. The second one was due to more hate messages on my tumblr. I got really annoyed at Bleach and at the IH fandom for pulling this shit on many blogs, not only mine. That took out any energy I had to finish this one-shot. But, you know what, screw them. I'm gonna keep enjoying IR Month and Bleach in general.

Anyway, today we have a futuristic AU. This one is set in a world where mass-produced robots are a thing, as well as bunkers in case of an apocalypse. It has more action than the other ones, but a lot of IchiRuki goodness thrown in the mix. Hope you enjoy it as much as I loved writing it. I'm very excited, especially for the last part.

See you tomorrow!

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **Bleach Power:** Yup. That was my life in college when I studied philosophy. The funniest part of it is that I bullshitted by final project for that subject and I got an A.

 **Guest:** Thanks! I'm also salty about that ending. I was disappointed in many ways. But I love early Bleach and I still love IchiRuki with all my heart. I'll definitely keep on writng for this fandom!

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Survive

 **Prompt:** futuristic au

 **Summary:** As the world goes to hell, Ichigo and Rukia must battle robots just to stay alive.

* * *

Rukia groaned as she shoot another robot in the face. Although it had been a scary ordeal at the beginning, after the first week it soon turned boring. Once you learned the gist of it, killing robots intent on overcoming humans wasn't as difficult as movies made it look like. Just a few shots on their metallic head, and they would drop to the floor like flies. By this point, it was just bothersome. Or maybe that was just her case, for her paranoid brother had made her train to survive an apocalypse since she was five. For Rukia, robots infesting the Earth was just a little less annoying than a zombie invasion. Demons conquering the world would have made for a much more interesting turn of events.

"That was the last one." The voice of her companion brought her out of her reverie.

It was Ichigo, her partner and boyfriend? She wasn't sure of the last part. Their relationship was complicated as it was without adding the fact they were living in an apocalyptic environment. When the robot invasion started, they had been hanging out at his place. It didn't take long for them to figure things out, and grab the many guns they had stored for precisely this scenario. Ichigo's family was as eccentric as her own (although Byakuya would have died ten times over by the hands of a vampire before admitting this). They had followed everything they had learned. Taking Ichigo's armored car, they had left the chaos of the city. Given the fact the robots and whoever was controlling them had hijacked all transmission towers, they couldn't contact their families and friends. Rukia knew there was only one place their crazy families would have gone to, and that was the series of bunkers called Seireitei, which had been built for such a scenario. There were more crazies out there who founded an organization called Gotei for precisely such an event.

"Let's get out of here before more come back." Rukia said, putting her guns away. Ichigo did the same thing and together they walked out of the building they had been in.

They had a very clear mission. Killing as many robots as possible until reaching Seireitei. Although it wasn't like they had any other options. Wherever they went, there were pesky robots hell-bent on killing them. Reasoning with them was out of the question. They were programmed to shoot anything that moved. Battling them was the only thing left to do. It would have been better to defeat the person responsible for this mess, but, sadly, they had no idea who could it be. Fighting that person between just the two of them was out of the question. They needed to regroup and fast. Thankfully, they were sure the other members of Gotei would make it. Some, like Rukia's brother, lived very close to the place. Others, even if they lived far, possessed the same weaponry as they did. Everyone had been trained in battle. Together, they would be invincible.

"What are you thinking about?" Ichigo asked as he drove.

It was quiet. The moment they had left the city and headed to the countryside, the less robots they encountered. It was unnerving.

"I'm wondering if they already made it to Seireitei." Rukia answered. "And I'm also thinking about how long it'll take us to get there. We have resources, but we rarely get any sleep."

"We were trained for this." He retorted. "I'm sure everyone made it. And we _will_ make it."

"How long until we arrive?"

"Twenty four hours."

Damn it all! Why did the bunkers had to be so far away? Between fighting robots and looking for people and resources, they had lost seven days already. Rukia felt good that they had been actually decimated large quantities of the robot army, however she couldn't help but feel angry every time they arrived somewhere and found out all the people around had been killed. With each corpse they encountered, she wanted to scream.

"Hey." Ichigo's soothing voice called out to her and made those terrible images vanish.

"Yeah?" She said, turning to him.

"We'll get whoever did this. Don't worry."

She smiled and took his hand. It was warm.

"I can drive if you want. That way you can sleep." When Rukia saw that he was about to shake his head, she added, "I'll promise I'll wake you up if I feel too tired to drive."

"Okay."

* * *

It was around seven in the morning when Ichigo woke up. Rukia had driven all night. She couldn't help it. Every time she closed her eyes she saw the dead bodies of the people she hadn't been able to save. She knew that weighed Ichigo too. She had seen him moving restlessly in his sleep. The situation was taking a toll on them and, even with all the training, Rukia didn't know how long they'd last like this. She contemplated all of this as she looked out of the window. After realizing she had stayed awake the whole night, Ichigo had naturally scolded her and told her to sleep while he drove. He had had around six hours of sleep and was ready to go. Knowing he'd get pissed if she didn't do as she was told, Rukia fell asleep. Somehow she had managed to sleep around five hours when Ichigo woke her up to eat something. He had parked in the countryside, very close to the bunkers. By nighttime they'd be there.

"Here you go." Ichigo said, giving her one of the cans they had.

"Thanks." She said, as she started eating her noodles.

"We still have enough gas to last us for another two days." He said, slapping the hood of his car. Given the fact it all happened so fast, and Ichigo's care wasn't exactly big, they had taken only the indispensable.

"It's good we'll get there today, right?"

"Most likely. And there we'll get more supplies."

"I wonder if nii-sama's making preparations." She said, eyes turning sad at the thought of her older brother. Last time they saw each other, they hadn't been in the best of terms. He hadn't wanted her to move to the city just in case of an emergency. He had been right.

"Knowing Byakuya he must've rallied the Gotei by this point." Ichigo said.

Rukia hummed noncommittally as she ate the rest of her soup. She stopped when she felt a presence too close to her. Looking up, she found Ichigo, who had already cornered her in the car. His hands trapped her from both sides and his face was close to hers.

"Stop worrying so much." He said, his breath mingling with hers.

"I can't help it. I want them all to be save."

"Me too. But there's not much we can do _yet_."

Rukia nodded and mustered a small smile. "At least we have each other."

"I think that's more than enough."

Soon his lips were over hers. Rukia sighed in happiness and grabbed his face, pulling him closer. He responded by sucking her lips, making her moan. This was new. They had been friends for a while now, and Ichigo had been the reason she had moved to the city. She had always felt that they went beyond normal friends, for their bond was incredibly strong. However, she couldn't say they were romantically involved. Not until some days ago, at least. Just before the world went to hell, they had kissed and made love for the first time. It happened so fast. In a month, they were already attached to the hip. They thought this was the beginning of something new they hadn't bothered to name yet. Then, in the blink of an eye, they had been fighting for their survival. Life wasn't fair. But at least Ichigo was there. Had she been alone, Rukia would have become insane. It was the same for him.

"Easy, tiger." Rukia joked, pulling away from him. "We need to get to Seireitei today."

Ichigo grumbled, annoyed that their _bonding_ time had been interrupted. "The moment we get there, we're not leaving our rooms for a week."

She laughed, knowing he wasn't being serious and suggested they continued driving. Somehow, even with danger looming ahead, Rukia couldn't help but feel butterflies in her stomach.

* * *

Ichigo and Rukia stared at the place in shock. They had managed to arrive to Seireitei at ten, but even before getting there, they could see something was wrong. There was fire, people running around, and robots everywhere. They had gotten there first.

"No." Rukia whispered in denial. How had this happened? Nobody knew about Seireitei except for the Gotei.

Ichigo didn't say anything. Spurred into action, he jumped out of the car and grabbed his guns and ammo. "Aren't you coming?" He told her.

She nodded and imitated him, following him to where they could see the chaos coming from. It was the main building, where the higher-ups would normally hold conventions and planned ahead. Thankfully, other bunkers hadn't caught on fire yet, but robots were swarming from them. Not even needing to speak, they both nodded and entered, shooting robots here and there. They saw a lot of their companions already there, guns in arms. Rukia started shooting on one side, and Ichigo in the other. As she moved, she found a person slumped on the ground. Her eyes widened when she recognized her. It was Hinamori Momo, another member of the organization.

"Hinamori-san!" She said, kneeling down and protecting her. "What happened?"

"Rukia-san?" The girl said in a weak voice. She was injured in the stomach. "You made it." She said smiling.

"How did this happen?" Rukia tried again, gently shaking her.

Hinamori cried. "It was Aizen-san! He betrayed us! At first I couldn't believe it, and I denied all accusations. But today I found out it's true." She said as tears rolled down her cheeks. "He attacked us. He's behind everything!"

Rukia cursed. "We need to get you out of here." She said, assessing the situation. If she could get her to the car…

"No." Hinamori cut her. "It's too late for me. But not late for them. Please, help them!" She pleaded, clutching Rukia's hands in hers.

"We'll save them." Another voice interjected. Turning around, they found Ichigo kneeling down next to them.

"Thank you, Kurosaki-kun." Hinamori said, eyes starting to close. "With you two here, I know everything will be alright." She didn't say anything else, for her eyes closed forever.

Rukia stood up, tears already falling down her cheeks. She felt furious. Aizen Sosuke, member of their organization and one of the higher-ups had betrayed them. He had betrayed the whole world. He had caused this mess and countless of people were dead because of him, including Hinamori, his assistant. The girl had trusted her superior more than anyone, and he had killed her. Next to her, Ichigo cursed loudly. He was as pissed as she felt.

"Come on. I secured us a door." He suddenly said, starting to walk away.

Without a second thought, Rukia followed him. They shot more robots and kicked them out of the way until they found the door they were looking for. It led to one of the conference rooms. As they entered, both almost threw up. Around forty people were there, unmoving. They had bullet wounds and their blood pooled on the floor.

"What's going on?!" Ichigo yelled, enraged.

Rukia pursed her lips. "I hear sounds on the other side. No doubt there's were the other robots are."

They nodded and moved to that door. It was even more chaotic there. Robots swarmed everywhere, while other members of the Gotei tried to shoot them. There were bodies on the floor. It was difficult to see which ones were robots and which humans.

"Rukia! Ichigo!" A voiced called to them. "Thank God you're here!"

"Renji!" She exclaimed. It was Abarai Renji, her childhood friend.

"Are you unharmed?" A new voice added.

"Nii-sama!" It was her brother. Other than tired, Byakuya looked fine.

"We're both alright! What about you?" Ichigo answered, not even once stopping shooting.

"We're fine but the robots are getting the best of us!" Renji answered.

"We need to kill these ones and move to the ones below!" Byakuya added.

"But with you here, I've no doubt we'll do it in no time!" Another person said.

"Dad?!" Ichigo exclaimed, looking at his father dressed in protective gear and wielding two guns. "Where are Ka─"

"Your sisters are safe! Right now we need to focus on this fight! Can you do it, son?!"

Ichigo grinned. "Che. I've been dying to see if you were actually right about your crazy theories, old man."

Rukia chuckled and covered Ichigo as he jumped and shot a few robots on the ceiling.

"Third daughter! Glad you're safe!" Kurosaki Isshin told her, moving to be closer to her.

"Thanks! You too!" She told her father-in-law, using the opportunity to kick a robot from behind. Isshin immediately shot it.

"With you two here, we'll definitely win!"

The battle went on. More people joined them from outside. Apparently most of them had been dealt with. The real problem was inside the main building. More robots kept springing up, and nobody knew from where. Urahara Kisuke, one of the most knowledgeable members, inferred Aizen had hidden them in the lab. He asked Ichigo and Rukia to join him and his friend, Yoruichi, to look for the lab and end thins once and for all. Together, they walked to the lab, only to find it even more infested with robots. Cursing, the four didn't waste time and started shooting all of them.

"Kisuke, we need to split!" Yoruichi exclaimed, realizing they couldn't get right to the machine which produced robots if they were all busy killing more of them.

"No!" Ichigo yelled. "We need to stick together!"

"I'm afraid Yoruichi-san is right!" Urahara called after shooting a robot. "We will stay here, while you two go and destroy the machine! I'll leave things to you, Kurosaki-san, Kuchiki-san!"

"Let's go, Ichigo!"

"Yeah!"

The two left their older friends and navigated to the farthest end of the lab. They kept shooting and creating entries between robots so they could move easily. However, it felt as if they hadn't killed a single one even if many already lay on the floor. Rukia felt fear. This could be it. Their short lives ending because of a mad man.

"We might not make it!" Ichigo called to her.

Even if she was feeling that way as well, she felt the need to ignore him. "We won't! We can do it!"

"Rukia! Listen to me!" He suddenly said, his back crashing against hers. "This might be the last time I'll be able to say it!" That puzzled her. What else could there be left to say after they had known each other for so many years? "I love you!" Ichigo said, turning around and looking right into her eyes.

Rukia felt all air leaving her. She gasped.

Ah,

There definitely was something left to say between them after all.

"I love you too!" She proclaimed, smiling at him.

"Great!" He said, then shot a robot behind her. "So, now that we've established that, you won't mind me asking you this, right?"

Rukia changed places with him and shot other two robots. "What is it?"

"Will you marry me?"

Questioningly, she turned to look at him. Ichigo stood tall and proud. Rukia searched into her eyes and she found many things. Fear. Worry. Anger. And above all else, love, directed to her.

"Yes!" She exclaimed.

Rukia ran and leapt into his arms, her lips crashing into his. After all this time as friends, and the short period they spent as a couple, had taught her many things about the man in her arms. He was kind, noble, brave, and her best friend. She wanted to spend all of her life with Ichigo, be it seventy years or only five seconds.

"This is not time to be kissing!" Yoruichi complained behind them.

"Sorry, but it was now or never!" Rukia yelled back.

"Ready?" He asked her, gesturing to the machine.

"Ready."

Together, they ran to the machine, intent on destroying it and ending this mess once and for all. Rukia didn't feel fear any longer. She knew that as long as she was with Ichigo, everything would be okay. They would both survive. She was sure of it.

* * *

 **A/N:** The proposal scene was shamelessly taken from Pirates of the Caribbean 3. I've always wanted to write a scene like this for IR.


	33. Mr Aizen's Abandoned House

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** Hey. So, so sorry for not uploading anything last week. It's just, this prompt was a bitch to write. Originally, this one-shot was supposed to be a Halloween special for last year, but it was difficult to write. I picked it up for the supernatural prompt this year and, damn, has it been a pain to write! The main idea was having Ichigo and Rukia get trapped in a haunted house, and that, during the ordeal, they would confess to each other. The problem was the actual plot. Anyway, this came up after much working on it. The rest of the prompts should be easier to write (keyword: should).

Well, again, I want to thank you all for your kind words. Man, I honestly didn't think last chapter would have this much reception, but I'm glad it did. It was fun to write.

See you soon!

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **Bleach Power:** Thank you so much! They have thankfully calmed down, so I'm happy about that. I'm glad you liked the end! For me, Yoruichi is always fun to write. Thanks again!

 **Guest:** Thank you so much for your words! I'm also a ride or die IchiRuki shipper as you can see. I'm also glad our fandom's less toxic.

 **Maiko:** Thank you so much for reviewing multiple chapters! Your words were fun to read. Thank you for taking the time to express your opinions. If you're curious of why he didn't kill Rukia, you can follow the story "The Fairest of Them All." It's on my profile. Thanks! I can also see Rukia as a witch haha. Byakuya just let Rukia go. He knew where she was, he was wanted her to be happy. Oh, and they passed the test! They had been studying all day, after all. Oh, and I write all year, but you get more fanfics during IR Month, mainly because I'm busier during the rest of the year.

* * *

Mr. Aizen's Abandoned House

 **Prompt:** a supernatural au

 **Summary:** When Ichigo and Rukia get trapped in a haunted house, they need to work together to get out. Certain feelings will surface as they walk the corridors.

* * *

The moment the words left Keigo's lips, Ichigo knew it was a terrible idea. Now, in truth most of Asano Keigo's ideas were considered "bad" in several degrees. Normally, the group would have ignored him, but this time, Keigo's idea seemed exciting to everyone else but Ichigo. Therefore, the young man had no choice but to grumble his acceptance to Keigo's suggestion to going to the abandoned house on the outskirts of Karakura on Halloween Night. To be fair, the group had never done anything during Halloween, for it was a western tradition, and October 31st was just an average night in Karakura. However, since they had been reading horror stories in their English class, somehow they were all excited to experience a spooky night as the protagonists of those stories.

"Stop frowning, Ichigo." Rukia said next to him as they walked towards the supposedly haunted house. "You'll get wrinkles." She joked.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Har, har. Very funny, Rukia."

"No, but seriously. It'll be fun, so stop complaining." She told him, going as far as to touch his shoulder. The action made him blush, but the moment was ruined by her next words. "Or don't tell me you're scared, Kurosaki-kun?" Rukia said in that annoying sing-song voice she sometimes used to piss him off.

"Of course not!" He yelled, both parts embarrassed and angry.

"Really, Ichigo? I wouldn't have pegged you for that type!" Tatsuki commented from behind him.

"Shut up!"

"He does seem like the type to hide his true feelings." Ishida added matter-of-factly.

"Don't worry, Ichigo! I'm scared too, but I bet we're gonna have an awesome time!" Keigo told him, stopping from walking just to give him a thumbs-up.

"There's no shame in feeling afraid, Ichigo." Chad said, touching his shoulder and giving it a few pats.

Even his best friend had betrayed him!

"Stop it!" Ichigo shouted. "I'm not afraid! I just think it's dumb!"

"Sure you do." Ishida and the rest said, ignoring him.

"Don't worry, Ichigo. I'll protect you." Rukia told him, an amused smirk on her face. That she-devil!

Ichigo was about to argue when Mizuiro stopped and turned to look at them. "We're here." He announced.

Tatsuki whistled. "It sure does look scarier than I thought."

"Doesn't it?" Keigo exclaimed. "It must be haunted! We'll get amazing footage here! It's gonna be great!"

Truth be told, the house did look straight out of a horror movie. It was a three-story building that must have been a quaint house in its prime. It belonged to a former rich neighborhood (or as rich as you could get in Karakura). But, currently, it was worse for wear. The windows had been smashed. The grass from the yard had grown so much it looked like a jungle. The paint had faded leaving behind a muddy brown. The outside walls had been painted by the local gangs. All in all, it had an incredibly eerie appearance.

"It looks like it'll fall apart on us. Is it even safe?" Ichigo asked after observing the building.

"Don't be a downer, Ichigo!" Keigo told him. "You promised you'd come with us! Now, stick to the plan!"

"I agree with Kurosaki, though." Ishida retorted. "One earthquake and it'll fall to pieces."

"Well, then it's good Karakura doesn't get quakes, right?" Tatsuki said.

Ichigo tuned out the conversation and looked at Rukia. She seemed to be gazing at the house completely mesmerized. "What's wrong? Getting cold feet?" He asked her.

She snorted. "Not really. Just trying to picture how it must've looked like before."

"It was supposedly one of the best houses around here." Mizuiro said while looking at his phone. "Which is why it was a big deal when the Aizen incident happened."

That _incident_ was one of the most famous crimes in the history of Karakura.

Over fifty years ago, a great tragedy stroke the neighborhood. The culprit: Aizen Sosuke. He was a famed politician back in the day, who had gathered millions during his time in office. After a scandal, he moved to Karakura to avoid suspicion. He bought a house in the nicest neighborhood in town and lived mostly a peaceful life. That was, of course, until the _incident_ happened. Aizen had a personal assistant by the name of Hinamori Momo, who would come and help him edit his articles for the _Karakura Reporter_ , the local newspaper. Since Aizen was believed to be a respectable man, no one questioned why a young and pretty girl would come and stay hours and hours with an older man. In reality, the situation was more gruesome than anyone would have thought. She was Aizen's sex slave. The poor girl was sexually abused for over a year, without being able to get out of the situation. She had to pay the bills of her ill grandmother's medicine. No one noticed. That was the real tragedy. That is until Hitsugaya Toshirou, Momo's childhood friend, started suspecting something was going on between them. When Hinamori took too long to come back home one day, her grandmother called Hitsugaya. He, then, went to look for her at Aizen's house. When nobody answered, he went in anyway, and found a horrifying sight: Hinamori Momo, sprawled on the ground naked, blood dripping from her many wounds and lacerations. She was tied and her eyes were wide open, even if she didn't see anymore. Enraged, Hitsugaya attacked Aizen with a kitchen table, but his actions were futile. He shot the younger man on the chest. The two friends died that night, and Aizen's neighbors called the police after hearing the gun shot. He was arrested and then imprisoned for the murders of Hitsugaya and Hinamori. Aizen never confessed to the crimes, even if there was enough evidence to get him convicted ten times over. After the scandal had passed, the house was abandoned. Aizen's relatives took anything of value, and tried to rent the house to no avail. All people who lived in there claimed the house was haunted by the spirits of the two young people who had died there. Eventually, the building was completely abandoned and it became part of the local urban legends. Many had gone in there to try and capture ghosts on film. Some had gotten evidence, but none was conclusive. Even still, it was normally inferred Aizen's abandoned house might as well had been the most haunted location in all town.

"Well, let's go in." Ever brave, Tatsuki proclaimed.

"Mizuiro and Chad, prepare the cameras!" Keigo ordered them. His friends did as they were told and turned them on. The cameras beeped and then focused on the building. Mizuiro zoomed in to focus on the attic.

"We're not gonna find anything." Ichigo grumbled.

"I'm sure we will!" Keigo retorted.

The seven of them started walking towards the house. Upon getting closer, they discovered the door had been jammed.

"Ichigo! Help!" Keigo exclaimed, pointing at the door.

Even if he thought the whole ordeal was dumb, Ichigo complied and hit the door with his shoulder. It only budged when Tatsuki joined in his efforts. The door, then, opened with a creek that made Keigo jump.

"Getting scared before going in?" Ichigo teased him.

Keigo turned red. "Q-quiet, you!"

They went in, each with a bit of apprehension for different reasons. Once they set foot inside, the first thing they noticed was that all was covered in dust. Rukia started sneezing several times. Ishida's eyes watered. And even Chad started coughing. The dust also increased the overall eerie appearance of the place. It was rather creepy, even by Ichigo's standards, who rarely got spooked.

"Guys, check this out!" Tatsuki said as she approached the living room. Some furniture still remained, like a couch and a coffee table, both worn out. There were pictures on the coffee table. The couch was covered by a white sheet. There were also curtains with holes on them from the years that had passed. What was interesting to Ichigo was the enormous chimney in the center of the room. It was intricately decorated and looked as if it had been grandiose back in the day. Ichigo could almost picture Aizen sitting there on cold, winter nights. There was also a shelf, which was currently empty except for a few trinkets. The carpet beneath them was stained and dusty, but they all could make out its rich crimson color. No doubt it was made from the finest materials. The house had been designed with a Western style, and it showed how elegant and expensive it had been before. It added to the question everyone had been asking since it happened. Why would someone who had it all like Aizen Sosuke do something so terrible his whole life got ruined?

"Guys, get this!" Keigo said, motioning to Chad and Mizuiro to approach the coffee table. There it was a picture of Aizen, which by some reason had been left behind. "That's the man of the hour. Aizen." He said into the camera.

"He looks younger than I thought." Rukia said as she took the picture frame in her hands.

"I always pictured him as a creepy looking guy with a moustache." Ichigo muttered, making her laugh.

"He was supposed to be a hottie and he is!" Keigo told them, proud of remembering every bit of information he had researched before coming.

"Careful, Asano-san, or his ghost will think you're in love with him and haunt you." Mizuiro said from behind his camera, zooming in to Keigo's panicked expression.

"Don't even joke about that!" Keigo yelled, plaing at the thought. "And what's with that formal way of calling me?!"

Ah, yes.

We forgot to mention.

Aizen died in prison, after apparently committing suicide. It was unknown if he had actually been killed by one of the other inmates, Ichimaru Gin, who harbored a grudge on the man.

Some people said his spirit still wandered the rooms of the house, unable to find peace after what he had done.

"What else can we find?" Tatsuki said, ignoring Keigo's whining.

"The kitchen's around here." Ishida replied, motioning to the other side of the house. The others followed him, with the cameramen recording everything they saw.

"Scared yet?" Rukia whispered to Ichigo as they were the only ones walking behind.

He scoffed. "Of course not. You?"

"Never." She replied.

"I'd like to see that when we reach the upper floor." It was said Hinamori and Hitsugaya had died in the attic, and that was the most haunted location of the house. If you paid attention, you could listen to Momo's crying after midnight.

"You'll see I won't get scared." Rukia said with conviction.

"Yeah, maybe you're too short to see ghosts moving around anyway." He told her with a teasing tone.

"What does my height have to do with anything?" She asked ironically.

"I don't know. You tell me."

Rukia stuck her tongue at him and Ichigo laughed. That was what he liked about Rukia, he could always have fun with her no matter where they were. It was refreshing to say the least. Others, like Keigo, would have been too scared to joke around in a haunted location, but not Rukia. She was as skeptical as he was about things, even if she liked to say she believed in fairies and Shinigami. Yeah, right. As if such being could exist.

They finally reached the kitchen and their experience there was as uneventful as the living room. The kitchen was covered in dust and even a few cobwebs. It had once been white or at least a creamy color, but it now looked all gray. The few cupboards which were opened were empty. The stove looked as it had seen better days. The sink, though, was the worst by far. It was chipped from one side, and its once pristine color was now a disgusting brown. Keigo decided to open the tab and almost immediately muddy water spurt out, followed by a few cockroaches.

"Ew!" Keigo exclaimed, walking backwards. Behind him, they all laughed.

"There's your ghost, Keigo." Tatsuki said, laughing harder when the boy turned around and glared at her.

"We'll find some, you'll see." He mumbled, crossing his arms in annoyance.

"It just seems to me we're just going to find dust and bugs." Ishida replied, a smirk on his face.

"Right? I've been saying that from the beginning!" Ichigo exclaimed. For the first time in his life he agreed with Ishida.

"Don't be such killjoys." Rukia countered. "I'm sure we'll find some soon."

Keigo smiled brightly at her and ran to hug her. "Thank you so much, Rukia-chan!" However, before he could reach her, he was stopped by both Ichigo and Tatsuki punching him in the face.

"Alright, Romeo, let's keep moving." Tatsuki said, pulling him away.

The next room they went into was the dining room. The table still stood there, in the middle of the room. The cupboards were empty, just like in the kitchen, but in here the glass had been broken and it scattered around the floor. There were only a few chairs, some of them were broken and the rest seems worse for wear. It was what you would expect from an abandoned house. There was nothing interesting there. At most, they got a few shots of the dark room, which were creepy enough for footage. However, things soon got interesting when Ichigo turned around and he almost felt all blood leave his body.

"Holy shit!" He exclaimed.

Behind him, right on the wall, the words "You better run" were painted in red. Ichigo's friends got startled and turned around. Keigo started shaking after reading the words. Chad and Tatsuki got unnerved. The rest remained calm.

Rukia looked smugly at Ichigo. "Weren't you saying you wouldn't get scared?"

He crossed his arms, annoyed at her. "I wasn't scared."

"Then what was that shout?"

"I just got surprised, that's all. I didn't think there'd be something painted on the wall!"

"Whatever you say, Ichigo."

"I'm being serious!"

"Hey, guys…" Ishida, who had moved closer to the wall to inspect it, called them. "It looks fresh."

"Is it blood?" Keigo asked, already freaked out.

"I believe it is paint." He replied, pushing his glasses to the bridge of his nose. "What I meant to say is that someone painted this not too long ago. Maybe we're not alone."

Okay. That was creepier than the house itself. You never knew who you could fine in an abandoned house. Maybe other teenagers like them trying to play pranks on unsuspecting victims. Maybe it was worse. Gangs. Criminals. You never knew.

"Should we leave?" Tatsuki asked them, feeling as worried as everyone else was.

"It might be dangerous." Chad conceded.

"They could be druggies." Ichigo said. It wasn't unusual for drug addicts to use abandoned buildings for their activities. He would rather not meet one tonight.

"Or it could be a ghost." Rukia said playfully, which earned her a glare from Ichigo. "What? It's true!"

"Going back to the topic at hand," Ishida said before his friends could start bickering again, "what do we do now? It's your call, Asano-kun."

Keigo narrowed his eyes and then steeled himself. "Let's get going."

"Aren't you scared?" Mizuiro asked his best friend.

He shook his head. "I'm fine. I still wanna keep exploring the place. Maybe we'll find something interesting."

That being said, they decided to move to the second floor. Ichigo still believed it would be better to leave just in case. Ishida had the same belief, but since they were the minority, they decided to keep their mouths shut. Besides, Rukia and Tatsuki would never let them live it down if they left now. Ichigo didn't want to leave his friends alone, either. Chad, Tatsuki and Rukia could take care of themselves. Mizuiro was fast on his feet. Keigo, though… let's say they needed someone to keep him in line. That guy could trip on air. As they moved, Ichigo let the rest go in front of him. Only Rukia walked by his side, but had to move in front of him as they started walking up the stairs. The stairs were old and they creaked as they stepped on them. Some of the steps had holes on them.

"Is this even safe?" Ichigo complained as they ascended, careful of not getting his feet caught in one of the holes.

"Probably not." Ishida answered him, being as careful as Ichigo was being.

"They'll probably still support us." Rukia reassured them, but her voice had wavered a bit. She was as worried about that as they were.

"Hope you're sure." Ichigo muttered.

The second floor was even less lit than the first floor. Thankfully, Ishida, Rukia, Tatsuki and Ichigo had brought flashlights, and the cameras emitted enough light so that the place wouldn't be so dark. The floor was basically a long corridor, and on each side there were several rooms. Keigo walked in front of everyone and approached the first door of the right. He opened it to reveal a mostly empty room, which only had a bed. Shrugging, he exited the room and opened a second door. It was as empty as the previous one. Unsatisfied, Keigo opened the second door on the left, wanting to see if there was anything else. Ichigo genuinely thought the result would be the same, but he wasn't counting on there being a person standing in the room. It was a young woman, with long, brown hair. Alarmed, Keigo took a step back as well as the others, but Ichigo approached the figure.

"Who are you?" He demanded, believing this could be a prank.

As if it were in slow motion, the woman turned around to reveal her pale face, darkened eyes, and her dress covered in blood. The woman screeched when she saw them. Her shouting set the rest into action. The teenagers started running down the stairs, tripping and pushing each other. Ishida was the first to run and rush to the front door. He yanked in opened and let Tatsuki go first before leaving. Keigo was the third one, followed closely by Mizuiro. Chad rushed out and, just when Ichigo and Rukia were about exit, the door closed in front of their faces.

"Open up!" Ichigo yelled as he tried to open the door, but it appeared it was locked.

Outside, his friends frantically tried to open it too. "It's impossible, Kurosaki!" Ishida yelled at length.

"Hold on!" Ichigo said, trying to kick it open. That didn't work. Then, he started slamming on it with his shoulder, but it wouldn't budge.

"Let me try too!" Tatsuki said and she and Chad started imitating Ichigo's actions. When that didn't work, they started losing hope.

During that time, Rukia had been looking around the house, making sure they weren't being followed by whatever had been upstairs. After a while, she noticed a dark figure approaching them. "Ichigo…" She whispered, grabbing his sleeve.

"What?" He asked before realizing the figure was in front of them.

"Kurosaki, what's wrong?!" Ishida shouted from outside, but the two weren't focusing on them anymore.

The figure was completely dark, so it was hard to tell what it was. It seemed to be humanoid. It was also tall and frightening. There was something about it that made them get goosebumps. Ichigo moved to stand between Rukia and the figure, protecting her. That made the figure pause. It suddenly smirked.

"My, my. Let's see if you're better than the last ones."

That was the last thing they heard before everything went black.

* * *

Ichigo groaned. His head was pounding painfully. He was groggy too. How much time had he slept? He wasn't prone to napping, and he felt that he hadn't gone to sleep yet. As he sat on the bed, he froze. That was definitely _not_ his room. That wasn't his bed either. "What the hell?" He whispered as he looked around. Then, it hit him. Ichigo remembered Keigo's stupid idea. The abandoned house. The girl in the room. The door getting stuck. Finally, the dark figure he and Rukia had seen. Wait! Rukia! Where was she? "Rukia!" He called her, standing up. This couldn't be happening! He couldn't just lose her!

"Here." She said, her voice coming from the other side of the room. There, he saw her. Rukia was on the second bed of the room. She seemed to just have woken up like him. "Where are we?"

"I don't know. A room inside the house." Ichigo said, walking towards her.

"The house?" Rukia said, surprised. "Do you mean… we're still stuck in the abandoned house?"

"Yep." He said, shrugging.

"Why are you so calm?!" She snapped, getting up and going towards him. "We're stuck in a haunted house!"

"Shut up. We still don't know if it's haunted. We can just go back and leave."

Rukia didn't look convinced, but she still followed him. Carefully, Ichigo opened the door and he peaked outside. It looked like the hallway they had been in before. Making sure there really wasn't anyone outside, he walked out. Rukia walked behind him, looking over her shoulder to see if anyone was there. There wasn't, but still the door closed on its own. That made them shiver.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"I'm looking for the stairs."

He was sure it was the same place they had been in before. However, the corridor seemed to have no end. There were no stairs. Just more rooms.

"I don't like this." Rukia muttered.

"It's gonna be fine." Ichigo simply said. Then, he reached out and took her hand. "As long as we're together, it'll be fine."

"Hmmm." She said. "Don't get sappy on me."

"Never."

The hallway didn't lead them to the stairs. It did lead them to a room filled with trinkets.

"This must be the attic." Ichigo said as he inspected it from afar. Thankfully they still had their flashlights.

"Then we're in the third floor." Rukia said.

"Let's turn around." He said, tugging her to the opposite direction. However, before they could move further, an unseen force pulled them to the attic. The door shut close behind them. The two stared wide eyed at it.

"It _is_ a haunted house!" Ichigo exclaimed.

"I told you so!" Rukia replied.

Ichigo was about to retort something else when a voice shushed them.

"Who's there?" He asked, pointing with his flashback at a corner of the room.

"In here." A masculine voice whispered. The flashlight illuminated the face of a young man with white hair and turquoise eyes. "Quick!" He added.

Rukia didn't think it twice before pushing Ichigo to the floor and making him crawl to where the guy was. Once they were in the corner next to him, they observed him. The man looked normal enough except for how pale he was.

"Who are you?" Ichigo asked him. "What do you want?"

"That's not important." He cut him off. "What's important is that you hide yourselves and then go."

"Why?" Ever curious, Rukia asked him.

"Because _he_ likes to play with lovers." The strange man said.

Both teens sputtered. "We're not lovers!" They exclaimed, blushing at the thought.

The man stared at them deadpanning. "In any case, _he_ chose you for his little game, and you do not want to play."

"He?"

"Aizen." He but hissed.

"Aizen?" Ichigo repeated. "But he's dead!"

"And that's why you don't want to meet him." The man told him. "If you decide to play, you'll have to avail by his rules. You might not get out of here alive. I tried to warn you earlier, but you didn't listen."

Oh, so the message on the wall had been his doing.

It made sense.

 _Not_!

"Wait! Hold up!" Ichigo exclaimed. "You're telling me that a ghost will kill you?" The man nodded. "Hah! But ghosts don't exist!"

"They do. Who do you think you're talking to?" The man deadpanned.

Ichigo almost shrieked and Rukia gasped. "I know who you are! You're Hitsugaya!" She had recognized him by the white hair.

"That's right." Hitsugaya said. "Ever since my death, I've been stuck here. At first it was peaceful… but then Aizen came back. I've been hiding from him ever since. Then people started showing up. _Living_ people. Aizen began choosing them for his sadistic games. He always chooses lovers. Most get out with my help, but some…"

Ichigo nodded. Now that he thought about it, occasionally there were people missing from town that never came back. "So it was all Aizen…" he whispered. To think even in death he was messing around with people's lives.

"Wait… so the girl we saw, she's Hinamori?" Rukia asked, remembering the first ghost they had seen.

"Hinamori's here?!" Hitsugaya exclaimed, surprised.

"You didn't know?" Ichigo asked him.

The ghost shook his head. "I've been all by myself. To think she was here…"

"Maybe you two can leave together?" Rukia asked.

Hitsugaya frowned. "For some reason, I can't leave. But _you_ can. So let's go." He said, standing up. "Follow my lead." He led them around the room, using the many boxes, furniture and books to cover themselves. As they reached the door, Hitsugaya put a hand on the doorknob and attempted to open it, when it suddenly it burst open and there stood a dark figure.

"Hitsugaya! How nice of you to join us!" The figure from before said, as he closed the door and cornered them in the room.

"Aizen." Hitsugaya growled before trying to leap on the man, but Aizen slammed him on a wall.

"Behave, we have guests after all." He said darkly. "My, my, what a lovely, young couple I found this evening!" He said as he observed the teens. "A handsome young man and his beautiful girlfriend." Aizen muttered as he walked closer to them. "I'll have my fun today. Well, let's begin with you, dear." He added as he took Rukia's cheek.

"Stay away from her, you creep!" Ichigo yelled but was promptly slammed to the same wall as Hitsugaya was.

"Don't be hasty, young man. You'll get to play later. Now it's _her_ turn." Ichigo could only stare as Aizen took Rukia by the neck and observed her with mad eyes. Rukia struggled in his grip, but he wouldn't drop her. "Such a strong spirit! I wonder what it'll take to break it." He said, before dropping her to the ground. He started kicking her, making her grunt.

Ichigo got up quickly and covered her with his body, glaring at the man. "Leave her alone!"

"Ichigo…"

"Ah, young love!" Aizen said mockingly. "So that's what takes to break both of you. Very well. Let's see if you can get out of here." With that, he used his strange, shadow-like arms to throw them the farthest end of the room, as it began to be filled with a black whirlwind.

Rukia quickly grabbed Ichigo's hand tightly as her hand grasped the corner of a book shelf. They both grunted from the impact, but held on tight to each other.

"If we fall, we might die!" Rukia said after seeing how some books and other trinkets got swallowed by the whirlwind.

Ichigo looked down and analyzed the situation. They were hanging precariously over the whirlwind. His sneakers were almost touching it. If Rukia let go of the shelf, both of them would fall down to their assumed deaths. There was nothing around them they could risk climbing. And, even then, where would they go? They were stuck in the room and the door was so far away. There was only one choice.

"Let me go." Ichigo said.

"What?" Rukia asked him.

"Let me go. If you don't, we'll both fall."

"Like hell I will!" She exclaimed, holding him tighter. "I won't let you go!"

"Rukia, it's the only way! You can still get away!"

"I'm not going without you!"

"Don't be so stubborn!" Ichigo yelled at her. Couldn't she see that it was the only way? He'd do anything to make sure she lived, even if that meant he wouldn't live. "Why don't you want to let me go?!"

"Isn't it obvious?" She said more softly this time. "It's because I love you!" She confessed.

Ichigo almost laughed at the irony. Of course Rukia would say something like that when they were about to die. It was fitting.

"I love you too!" He said back. "Which is why I need you to let go!"

"And I won't! Because we're either leaving together or we're not!" Rukia exclaimed.

"What do you mean?"

"That… if we can't get away… what if we let go together?" She told him, her grip on the shelf almost slipping.

Ichigo gulped. This wasn't what he wanted, but there was no changing Rukia's mind. "Fine. We do it together."

"On three?"

"One."

"Two."

"Three."

Rukia let go of the shelf and both spiraled down to the abyss, all the while holding their hands tighter.

"I love you." Ichigo said one last time.

"I love you too." She answered back and closed her eyes as they grew closer to the whirlwind.

However, before they could be sucked into it, two figures grabbed them and pushed them away. They opened their eyes to find Hitsugaya and the ghost from before, helping them move to the door.

"What's going on?" Ichigo asked, bewildered.

"Your sacrifice moved me and made me confront Hitsugaya-kun." Hinamori said, looking at the man next to her. "I was scared of facing him after everything. But you inspired me to confess to him, even if we're dead."

"We decided to help you. Somehow, we're stronger than Aizen now."

"It's because you didn't play his game. He wanted one of you to die, and the other live with that guilt." Hinamori explained. "He loves those sadistic games. But when your love was stronger, that weakened him."

"Thank you both." Rukia told them.

"No need to thank us." Hitsugaya replied. "But when we let you down, you gotta run as fast as possible and leave."

"We'll keep Aizen busy for you. But we don't know how long that'll last. So run."

"Do it now." Hitsugaya said as they both drop them to the ground.

Ichigo didn't need to think twice. Taking Rukia's hands, he kicked the door opened and then he guided her through the long corridor. They ran as fast as they could, ignoring the doors which started opening by themselves. They found the stairs and they rushed down, passing by the second floor. Then, they reached the first floor and went straight to the front door. Rukia grabbed the doorknob and pulled it open. It revealed their friends, staring at them with mouths open. They ran out and collapsed on the grass, breathing heavily from the exertion.

"What the hell where you two doing?" Tatsuki exclaimed as she stood in front of them.

"Sorry?" Rukia asked, looking up at the girl.

"We were talking to you when you stopped answering, and suddenly you just opened the door and ran out." Ishida explained.

"You look as if you had ran a marathon." Chad added.

Ichigo and Rukia turned to look at each other. It seemed it had been hours since the door closed on their faces, but for their friends it had been just a couple of seconds. Just what the hell had happened? Had that been their imagination?

"I… I…" Ichigo stuttered, at a loss of what to say.

"You look like you've seen a ghost!" Keigo exclaimed, oblivious to the fact they had seen not one but three. "Did you see something scary there? Tell me all about it!"

"Anyway, we should leave." Mizuiro interrupted him. "We think we saw an apparition and that's enough for your video, Asano-san."

"But I want to know if they saw more ghosts!"

"Kojima is right. Orihime is waiting for us to watch movies after all." Tatsuki said, already moving to walk away from the building.

"And we probably didn't see a ghost." Ishida added. "It was most likely a prank."

"The cameras didn't pick up anything." Chad mentioned once they were walking to the next block.

"What?! But we saw a ghost!"

"Maybe it was just our imagination, Asano-san."

"Don't speak to me so formally!"

Ichigo and Rukia walked wordlessly behind their friends. They didn't understand anything other than the fact they had actually had a supernatural experience inside the house. It was actually haunted. But it wasn't like their friends would believe them anyway. They silently agreed not to mention this to anyone. As they walked towards their friend's house, Ichigo took Rukia's hand. She blushed and smiled sweetly at him. He smiled back and laced their fingers together. Whether it had been their imagination, as their friends said, or not, one thing was for sure, it had had a good outcome. The best outcome possible. Later on, they would locate Hitsugaya and Hinamori's tombs to leave them flowers and pray for them to pass on. They would also reach out to people in forums having similar experiences under pseudonyms to get some closure. However, none of them seemed to have ever seen Hinamori's ghost. They wondered what that was about.

One thing was for sure, though, they would both stay as far away as possible from haunted places. Ghost hunting wasn't for them.

(Unbeknownst to them, a dark figure had observed them as they walked away… Aizen wasn't done playing games.)

* * *

 **A/N:** Welp. I always make Hinamori suffer, it seems, lol.

I've always pictured Ichigo and Rukia confessing after a life or death situation. You you liked my take on this.


	34. The Three Gruesome Mysteries of Karakura

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** Hey! Once again I chose a difficult plot to write about and that's why I only finished prompt 7 today. Anyway, here's some backstory for today's one-shot. A while ago, someone posted on Tumblr about a "Buzzfeed Unsolved IchiRuki AU" naturally I was excited about it since Buzzfeed Unsolved is one of my favorite shows out there, and I religiously watch it every single week. I've been a fan literally from day 1. Anyway, there was nothing much to that AU except the idea of it, but I immeditaely began brainstorming ideas for it. I really thought someone might draw something for the supernatural prompt, but alas, I had no such luck. So, I decided to write it for the "au of your choice." To be honest, this would work so much better as a drawing, and that's why I had such a hard time writing it. I tried to write it as if it was a video, but I'm not sure I accomplish it. Oh well. It was good practice for a new style. As for the one-shot itself, you don't need to watch a BU video to get it, but I do reccomend you do. Specially the one titled "3 Horrifying Cases of Ghosts and Demons" because I slightly based tthe plot of the story on that one. As for Ichigo and Rukia, I gave them the roles of the hosts of the show. The first one, and pretty much the one who researches the cases, is Ryan Bergara. He wholeheartedly believes in ghosts, due to a experience he had years ago. He tries to prove with each episode of BU Supernatural that ghosts exist. You might know him from the meme "Don't try it, demon!" I based Ichigo on him since Ichigo in canon can see ghosts. The other one is Shane Madej, Ryan's friend. He's skeptical of the existance of ghosts, and believes all evidence Ryan shows him is the wind, rats, people, etc. He loves to annoy Ryan and that's why I chose Rukia to fulfill his role. You might know him from the meme "Hey there demons, it's me ya boi."

Anyway. Hope you like it and thanks for reading and for reviewing! You guys rock!

See ya soon!

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **Bleach Power:** Yup. Aizen's always involved in messes. And Keigo is an idiot who wants to prove he's braver even when he's not. That's why, deep down, Ichigo likes him. Possibly, lol.

 **Reader:** Thank you! Yeah. At least they're now happy.

 **Maiko:** Thanks for the review! I'm glad it was scary, although I'm sorry if I scared you. Yeah, Momo and Toshirou, now that they found each other, were set free. They were each other's regrets.

* * *

The Three Gruesome Mysteries of Karakura Town

 **Prompt:** au of your choice!- Buzzfeed Unsolved AU

 **Summary:** Ichigo tries to prove ghosts exist, meanwhile Rukia insists all evidence is the wind.

* * *

Video starts.

The scene: an abandoned building at downtown Karakura.

Two twenty-somethings, Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia, stand outside, with their backs towards the building. Chad, their main cameraman, gives them a thumbs up. Ichigo takes a deep breath and then looks into the camera.

"This week on Bleach Unsolved we cover several cases and we visit some of the most haunted locations here in Karakura Town." Ichigo explains while Rukia happily nods next to him. "In an effort to answer our ongoing question: _Are ghosts real_?" He asks while his partner vehemently shakes her head.

"What? Think they're not real?" He tells her.

"Nope." Rukia says simply. "In every case we've covered, there hasn't been any compelling ghost evidence."

"Well, today's that about to change, since, for the first time in the show, we're actually going to be investigating _in_ the actual places." Ichigo says. "Fasten your seatbelts, folks, 'cause this is not a drill. Today we're gonna prove ghosts are a thing!" He says excitedly.

"I'm pretty sure all we're gonna hear is the wind."

"Shut up! I swear to god ghosts are real!"

"You keep saying that, but I see no real reason for ghosts to exist."

"No real reason? Rukia, our myths revolve around ghosts and demons and the supernatural!" Ichigo says gesturing around them. "They have to exist!"

She just shrugs. "You think that only because you think you saw a ghost."

"I didn't think I saw a ghost! I saw it!"

"It was probably a delusion."

"I'm pretty sure it was a ghost." He mutters angrily. "And I'm going to prove it in today's episode!"

"Speaking of which, what are we doing here?" Rukia asks, looking around. "The building looks creepy, but that's about it."

Ichigo smirks. "Glad you ask. Today we're here for our first gruesome mystery: the sad guitar incident."

"The what now?"

"The sad guitar! Keep up!" He coughs. "Anyway, here's how the story goes." Ichigo changes his voice tone to a deeper, more mysterious tone. "On November 5, 1988, a strange thing occurred in an apartment building in downtown Karakura. In one of the empty apartments, a peculiar noise could be heard. It was the strums of a guitar. The neighbors filed a complaint to the landlord, who insisted nobody lived there. Since the door was locked as well as all windows, it was impossible to get inside. The landlord went in and checked the place without finding anything. However, days passed and eventually they became weeks, and the guitar playing could still be heard. It unnerved the neighbors."

"Hold up." Rukia says, interrupting him. "They were unnerved of a guitar?"

"Well, yeah. Imagine if you suddenly start hearing someone playing a guitar, but there's no one in the apartment." Ichigo says. "By the way, I forgot to mention it was always at the same time. 10 o' clock pm."

"It's a lousy time to practice guitar, I'll give you that."

"That's all you're getting from the info?" He asks in disbelief.

"Well, yeah. Some people start getting ready to go to sleep at that time. Imagine if you have to get up at 5 the next day, but you can't fall asleep because an asshole decided to play the guitar." Ichigo wheezes. "Was the guitar playing good anyway?"

"It was described as a nostalgic tune. Hence the name 'the sad guitar'."

"So it wasn't good at all?"

"Don't think so."

"Hah. Thought so."

"As weeks passed by and the situation continued, the landlord started believing the building might be haunted." Ichigo keeps retelling the events. "As it turns out, he had acquired the entire building at a low price eight years prior. He didn't receive a lot of information about it, thinking everything was in order. Most tenants stayed, but there were unrented apartments. One of them was apartment number 25."

"Ghost guitar apartment?" Rukia asks.

"Ghost guitar apartment."

"For the next eight years, the landlord, Ukitake Juushiro, would have trouble keeping that apartment rented. Each time someone came to live there, they would inexplicably leave shortly after."

"How shortly after?"

"Six months to a year after having rented it."

"Huh. Not that unheard of. But still…"

"Yeah. Around ten tenants went through that apartment, and when the guitar incident started happening, it had been empty for around two months."

"Now I'm curious about the apartment." Rukia says.

"Let's take a look."

Scene changes. Ichigo and Rukia get inside the building. There, they notice the empty hall. The walls look gray, the paint's chipped, and there's rumble littering the floor. The whole place is covered in cobwebs and dust. It seems that it was abandoned long ago.

"This place is a mess." Ichigo mutters as they explore the place.

"How long has it been empty?" Rukia asks him as she flashes her flashlight in every corner.

"A decade."

"Huh. Well, to me it looks like it's been like fifty years in this state."

"There's a reason for that." Ichigo starts explaining. "Eventually, Ukitake-san started digging in the records of the past tenants of that apartment. He found out that, in the early seventies, a twenty five year old man by the name of Hisagi Shuhei lived there. He was a struggling musician, who worked at a local bar. He often practiced in the apartment, to the discontentment of his neighbors. The instrument: a guitar." He dramatically pauses to show a picture of Hisagi playing the guitar. "However, even if he was a promising musician, he wasn't getting paid enough. His friends said he had been desperate to make more money, as he planned to woo and marry a waitress that worked at the same bar as he did."

"Love problems. The downfall of most men in these stories." Rukia comments.

"It's always been the reason for most infortunes in history."

"Like the reason I'm doing these videos in the first place." She jokes, making Ichigo fume.

"Shut up."

"As for Hisagi, soon he piled up a considerable debt, to the point the previous owner of the place, Tosen Kaname, told him he needed to leave the apartment in three days after he failed to pay the rent. On November of 1973, he played his guitar one last time before jumping from his fourth floor apartment. He didn't survive the crash."

They begin walking up the stairs to reach the four floor. As they pass, they see more rubble on the floor. The steps creak each time they walk on them. The place is dark to boot. They need to illuminate it with their flashlights.

"So, you're saying the sad guitar is being played by a ghost?" Rukia asks as they ascend the stairs.

"It's too much of a coincidence to have the previous tenant be a musician and then die, only for people to hear a guitar coming from that same apartment years later, on the same month he passed away, no less." He answers her. "Right now, we're going to the apartment to see if we can hear the guitar."

Rukia rolls her eyes. "Yeah right, Ichigo. As if we'd suddenly hear the guitar."

As in cue, they hear something as they walk up the stairs.

"What was that?" Ichigo asks, stopping dead on his tracks.

"It was nothing." She dismisses it with a wave of his hand.

"No, no. I'm sure I heard something."

There is a noise which almost sounds like guitar strums. But it is so low it can be barely heard through the video. Ichigo immediately starts running up the stairs left to reach the fourth floor.

"Where are you going?!" Rukia yells at him as he speeds up in front of her.

"That was the guitar! I need to reach the apartment to listen closely!"

They both run what is left of the way until they reach a floor which looks exactly the same as all the previous ones. There is a bit of a rustle coming from one of the apartments. Ichigo runs towards apartment 25, the camera strapped to his chest picking up more sounds.

"Aha!" He exclaims as he opens the door to reveal… absolutely _nothing_.

"Well, well, well." Rukia says from behind him. "If it isn't an open window!" She gestures to the sole window in the room, which, as she said, is opened. The wind makes the dirty curtain move and rustle, the cacophony of the room helping it create an echo. It does sound melodically. Almost like a song.

"Bu-but… I don't understand." Ichigo says dumbfounded. "I swear I heard the guitar!"

"It was just the wind." His partner replies, shrugging.

"I hate it when you're right."

* * *

"Where are we now, Ichigo?" Rukia asks as both she and he stand outside another building at night.

"This is Karakura High School, and the setting of our next incident."

"Karakura High? Didn't you study here?" She asks, gesturing to the beige school behind them.

"That's right. And I'm about to retell the most famous legend in here."

"Oh, this will be fun." Rukia replies, motioning to him to start speaking.

"For years and years, it has been said that exactly at 12 pm at night, in the girls' restrooms located at the third floor, a voice can be heard coming from the third stall. It is said it's the spirit of a girl by the name of Hiyori. If you go near her, she will insult you before slapping you in the face."

" _Slap you_?" Rukia asks incredulously.

"Yeah. It's as you heard."

"Well this one sounds even more unbelievable than the other. Why would a ghost _slap_ you?"

"For the record, a lot of our classmates held spiritual sessions here. A couple swear they got slapped after being called 'baldies.' Right, Chad?" The camera man grumbles in reply.

"But why would she slap you?" She repeats her question.

"That's what we're here to find out. We're staying overnight to see if we can find her. At exactly 12, we'll go to the stall to catch evidence." Ichigo says.

"Man, this will be boring."

They make their way inside the school. It looks like your average Japanese school. It has a lot of tree areas outside. The corridors are filled with classrooms, offices, restrooms and the like. They pass by the cafeteria, as Ichigo shows Rukia around.

"Does it look any different during daytime?" She asks him as they walk.

"Less creepy." He says, shrugging. "It has many legends going on. A haunted classroom, moving chairs in the cafeteria, a ghost that peeks on the girls' locker room. I just chose the one with more evidence for this video."

"The ghost in the restroom has _more_ evidence?" Rukia asks in disbelief.

"Hey! As I told before, there've been many eyewitnesses."

"Sure, Ichigo."

They finally approach a classroom on the third floor, right beside the girls' restroom. They sit down on the ground, forming a small circle, their flashlights lighting up the room.

"Okay. Now's time to actually tell the story."

"Ooohhh. Storytelling time!" She exclaims.

"The story goes that there was a student by the name of Hiyori. She was mocked because she was poorer than the rest and couldn't afford shoes. She mostly put on sandals when it was time to go home, and always got to school wearing those same sandals. However, a mean spirited group of girls once stole her sandals, so she had to go home barefoot. Here's where the story gets muddy."

"Muddy? I like that!"

"Some say she walked on the riverbank, where she got mugged and killed. Others say she was too ashamed to go back home, so she escaped and eventually got killed. Other stories are inconsequential. But, long story short, in all of them she dies."

"This isn't a fun story."

"It's not." Ichigo clears his throat. "Anyway, the girls were in a club. Some stories say that it was the volleyball club, others don't name it. The point's that they were holding a spiritual session in this very room to scare the club's new members. They asked for any spirit to materialize. Nothing happened right away, but, someone heard movement in the restrooms at exactly 12 pm. They dared one of the new girls to check it. She did it and then she screamed. She rushed out of the restroom as the others reached her. She claimed a girl with blonde pigtails had called her a 'stupid baldy' and slapped her with what felt like a sandal. They immediately knew it was Hiyori. Ever since, students have stayed overnight to have séances and the like. After that, if they hear movement in the restroom, they go to the third stall to see if there's a ghost."

"So that's what we're doing." Rukia says. "Calling this dead girl to see if we can catch her on camera."

"Or at least get slapped."

"Or insulted."

"You insult me enough."

They both laugh. "Then why are you complaining?"

Rolling his eyes, Ichigo takes out a candle from his backpack. "So now we're gonna hold a spiritual session. It's exactly 11:50. Let's see if in ten minutes we can call a ghost. Rukia, give me your hands."

"Oh, Kurosaki-kun, so bold!" She says before grabbing his hands.

"Shut up. Anyway, here comes nothing. Spirits from beyond. We call to you to seek the truth. Tells us, is there a girl by the name of Hiyori here?"

Nothing happens.

"Nothing's happening." Rukia grumbles.

"Be quiet." He tells her. "I'll try again. Spirits, if you hear me, please tell us, is there a girl named Hiyori? Hiyori, are you here?"

They try this a couple more times to no avail. Rukia starts getting impatient, grumbling about ghosts not being real, while Ichigo starts getting frustrated. Exactly at 11:59, Ichigo tries one last time.

"Hiyori, are you here? Talk to us!"

They both hear a sound coming from the restroom next door, as if something was rustling.

"What was that?" Ichigo asks, suddenly alarmed. He stands up and looks around.

"It's probably nothing."

"No. It's coming from the restroom. I'm sure." He says before bolting out of the room. Rukia sighs just before having to follow him.

"Let's see if Ichigo'll finally find a ghost."

Ichigo runs to the restroom and opens the third stall with a kick to the door to find… _nothing_. Rukia starts giggling uncontrollably behind him.

"Where's your ghost, Ichigo?"

"No! What's this? She was supposed to be here!" He says, gesturing to the door.

"I don't see anything. But aren't ghosts transparent."

"Incorporeal. But that's not the point!" Ichigo exclaims. "What was that sound if it wasn't the ghost?!"

"Hey, look." Rukia says, catching his attention. "The janitor left the window open. What you heard was probably the wind."

"The wind?! Again?!"

"I'm convinced that's all your ghost evidence."

"I really hate you right now."

"I love you too."

* * *

"Well, we're on our final location for this episode." Ichigo says to the camera as he sits outside of a fountain. "The Karakura Mall." He says, gesturing around him. Sure enough, he and Rukia are sitting on the fountain in the middle of a deserted mall. There's rumble everywhere, and the entire place looks as if it had seen better days.

"What's this place?" Rukia asks him.

"It's the first mall we had in town. It was abandoned like 20 years ago."

"Why?"

"Ah. That's the thing and the reason we're here."

"Spooky." Rukia says in a playful tone.

"It's very spooky, actually."

"Can't wait for this one." She says, winking at the camera.

"When the Karakura Mall was first built, it was supposed to be the highlight of the town. It was meant to attract tourists as well as bring in stores that didn't exist here yet. It was a win-win situation for everyone involved. After it was finished, stores started opening, and the business went booming. That is, of course, until strange occurrences started happening."

"What occurrences?" Rukia asks.

"They noticed that things weren't in the same place they had left them during the night. First, it began with small things being moved around. Then, things were thrown to the floor. Sweaters and pants sprawled all over the place. Chairs missing. Spoons on the floor. Mannequins moving from place to place. Their initial thought was that there was a thief. The problem was that they found all the things which were missing eventually, and the cash registers were left alone. All money was there."

"Then how did they go from a thief to a ghost? They're very different."

"As I was saying, because all stuff was there, and nobody stole the money from the registers."

"It could've been a prank, though." Rukia says.

"Well, here's why they began thinking these incidents were supernatural. One very silent night, the guard was doing his rounds around the place, when he saw movement from a display window. Naturally, he approached it, thinking he had caught the person responsible. What he saw, however, wasn't made by a human. He saw one of the mannequins from a store move its head to stare at him right before it fell to the ground with a thud."

"Did that really happen, Ichigo?" She asks her partner. "It seems too far-fetched."

"The guard swore by it then, and even in a recent interview for a local online magazine, he repeated the same thing. All the times he's retold the story, the details have been the same."

"Is he sane?"

"He didn't imagine it. They found the mannequin on the floor the next morning."

"Oh."

"Yeah. And other guards started hearing noises at night. They saw chairs from the food court moving around. It came to a point the people that worked here theorized the mall was built on a cursed place."

"Is this why the mall got abandoned?"

"No. Back then, people weren't too materialistic and they didn't want to spend a lot of money on the stores here. The rumors of the poltergeist activity just made it so less people came. With no costumers, it closed down entirely. Eventually, the citizens' way of leaving would change, and they opened a new mall in another place. Yet this building remained abandoned, only being frequented by the homeless, those doing illicit activities, and people trying to find the spirits that are said to be here."

"So just like us."

"Well now, to catch some evidence, I've brought this." Ichigo says taking out a device from his pocket.

"What's that?"

"It's a spirit box. It's a device which uses radio frequencies to help ghosts communicate."

"That doesn't sound very scientific."

"Well, it is, and we're going to try it now!"

The two move to one of the empty stores on the first floor. There's a chair lying around and Ichigo sets the box there.

"Alright, ghosts, I'll leave this device here, it'll help you talk to us. So, when you're ready, you can start saying something." Ichigo turns it on and it starts making a lot of static noise. Rukia covers her ears.

"That's really loud!" She exclaims.

Ichigo laughs. "Yeah. Should've warned you. Anyway, have a question for the ghosts?"

"What's your name?" Rukia asks.

There's nothing except for noise.

"Why are you here?" Ichigo tries now.

"Do you hate malls? Is that why you haunt this place?" Rukia tries again.

"Yes." Comes from the spirit box. It is said in a voice which sounds deep and masculine.

"Holy shit!" Ichigo exclaims, taking a step back while Rukia laughs.

"Do you want to harm us?"

"Maybe… brown." Comes from the EVP.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Both ask.

"Gerald." It says.

"Is that your name? _Gerald_?" Ichigo asks.

"Potato… pie."

"Potato pie?" Rukia asks and starts giggling. "What's that? A new dish?"

"Okay. That's enough." Ichigo says as he turns it off.

"I gotta say, Ichigo, that was fun. Scientific? Eh." She says, shaking her head and moving her hand. "Fun? Yes."

"Ha, ha." Ichigo says sarcastically. "Well, now let's keep exploring."

They walk around, laughing at discarded mannequins. They play with some of the stuff littering around the place. They decide to go upstairs, to see the other stores on the second floor. They pass by what seems to be an old video store. They're looking around when Ichigo hears a whispering sound from the next door store.

"What was that?" He asks, turning around and squinting his eyes at the wall.

"Probably a raccoon." Rukia says dismissively.

"No. Something's not right." Ichigo says and bolts to the store. He gets in to find… nothing. "Wait. What the hell was that?"

"I told you. Probably a raccoon, or a rat. Maybe a bird." She says.

"It didn't sound like that."

Rukia shrugs and looks around before she starts laughing. "Hah! Found the source of the noise! There's a hole on the roof. You probably heard the wind moving around rocks."

"What?! No way!"

"Yes, the evidence is right here!"

In cue, Chad zooms in the hole, showing Rukia's grin and Ichigo's displeased expression.

"Fine. You win. For now."

"I'll take that."

"Well, I guess we've seen enough." Ichigo says.

"Yep. Let's go."

"These local buildings have been said to be haunted for years now. Although many people have heard and seen things, there's no concrete evidence to say they are actually being haunted. The question of whether or not there are ghosts involved in these incidents here in Karakura will remain _unsolved_."

 _What unsolved mystery do you want to see next?_

* * *

 **A/N:** Believe it or not, I thought real hard to what the name of their show should be named, trying to get it to resemble Buzzfeed Unsolved as much as possible. Then I realized I was an idiot and the answer was staring at me: _Bleach_ Unsolved.

And, as you can see, I based the first "case" on "Seven Mysteries of Karakura Town" in which Hisagi is the "ghost" which plays the guitar real bad in the music room in Ichigo's school, lol.


	35. Open The Door

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** Hey! I'm back! So the next prompts should be easier to write (I hope), so expect me to update sooner. I'm also thinking that some days you'll get a double update because I'm way behind schedule. But, anyway, I just wanted to say I'm glad you guys have liked my submissions for IR Month so far. I'm happy to be participating this year too. As for prompt 8, it was very fun to write. Last one-shot, you didn't actually get romantic IchiRuki, but you're gonna get it today. So I hope you enjoy it too. Thanks again everyone for your continuous support. You guys rock!

See ya soon!

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **Bleach Power:** Thank you very much! I'm glad it wasn't noticeable. And I'm also happy you enjoyed how I portrayed Ichigo.

* * *

Open The Door

 **Prompt:** break ups to make ups

 **Summary:** After a nasty fight, both Ichigo and Rukia show up to each other's apartments. The problem is neither is home.

* * *

Rukia sighed and dumped herself on the couch. She was dead tired. She had already cleaned her apartment, watered her plants, done the laundry, cooked for the entire week, painted her nails, cleaner her junk mail, organized her desk, folded the laundry, thrown away the garbage, gone over her taxes, and still she couldn't get _him_ out of her mind. Rukia inwardly cursed him. It so wasn't fair. All those activities should have kept her mind busy enough for her to forget about him completely. She should have been exhausted enough to pass out on her bed and not wake up until the next day. But, as she soon had found out, no matter what she did, that fool kept roaming on her mind, making her feel even more miserable than she already did.

Curse you, Kurosaki Ichigo!

Why, oh why, did he have to be so insufferable? Why did their personalities have to clash so horribly that any fight they had escalated quickly? Why were they both idiots? Ugh! What had come of her life?

This was the reason Rukia hadn't wanted to date Ichigo in the first place. They had met in high school, and even back then they had bickered all the damn time. Their friends thought it was funny. Their families thought it was funny. Hell, even the teachers thought it was funny! Rukia had never been amused (even if she also found their fights humorous). And she had denied it whenever she was asked if she liked him. They were all idiots. Who would fall in love with such a fool?!

"It's all chemistry." Renji had tried to explain it to her one time during their second year in high school. "When you guys are together, it's like a chemical reaction. You can't help but burn everything around you."

 _Burn everything around you._

That was the understatement of the century. They were explosive and they clashed because they were so similar and yet so different it was frustrating. Even when she had been fifteen, Rukia had soon realized that they couldn't be, regardless of any feelings they had for each other. Stubborn Ichigo had no need for a headstrong girl like herself. He needed someone sweet and caring, who would never say no to him. Someone like Inoue. While she needed someone less stubborn. Someone who would comply with her demands without much of a fight. Someone like Renji. And it had been fine during those first three years. They had been able to ignore the situation and keep the status quo, bickering whenever they could, but ultimately sharing the deepest conversations they had ever had in their lives. They were just friends. Best friends, yes. Partners in crime, ultimately. Lovers? No. Hell no! That could never be.

But, alas, she and Ichigo had managed to defy all odds.

They had gone to college together. None of their friends had gone to the same university as they did. Not knowing anyone else, and both being unsociable and skittish, they had stuck together. It was more convenient to stay around the friend you already had than make new ones. Or that was the lie they constantly told themselves. But now older, and hopefully wiser, they had been unable to deny the underlying truth. They loved each other. It was as simple as the sun rising every day, as the moon shining at night, as the waves clashing against each other on the sea. That was how it was. There was no changing it, no denying it anymore. And so they had started dating. Dating wasn't that different to being friends at first. They were used to hanging out every day anyway. It wasn't a change of schedules. Rukia crashed on Ichigo's place most often than not. They had lunch and dinner whenever possible. They had study dates during final's week. Even personal space had stopped existing between them back in high school. The only differences were that now holding hands and kissing were allowed, and that Rukia didn't crash on Ichigo's apartment _just_ because it was convenient. In the blink of an eye, time had passed by and they had graduated, taking on jobs in the same city, and they realized they had been dating for five years already.

Dating after all this time should have been easier now than when they were teens, right?

Wrong.

Because Ichigo was still as difficult as ever. The man didn't take no for an answer and he honestly had to question everything she ever did. And Rukia wasn't much different either. She, too, questioned everything about them, and she just had to have her way, didn't she? Maybe the problem wasn't entirely on Ichigo, because god knew deep down he was sweet and caring and he wanted nothing more than to give her the entire world. It was Rukia who got scared. It was she who went too far sometimes. It was she who teased him and annoyed him. It was she who was impossible to deal with. It was she who had to pull and pull the string waiting for it to break, _wanting_ for it to break, only to prove she had been right all along and that they were definitely not meant to be, no matter what people said.

And Rukia had finally done it.

She honestly didn't remember what the fight had originally been about. Something stupid, no doubt. The point was that, the day before, they had spent what was supposed to be a good time in her apartment watching movies and just hanging out, screaming into each other's faces. Now, don't get her wrong, there was a certain thrill to arguing with Ichigo. They exuded passion when they did, and the makeup sex was great too. It also gave them the feeling that they could be honest and overcome anything. But yesterday things had gotten too far. Perhaps neither had wanted to fix things, Rukia especially. If she'd try to recall it now, she honestly wouldn't have been able to say exactly why she was so mad, but at what point Ichigo had gotten fed up with the whole thing.

"If we keep fighting like this, how are we supposed to be together?!" He had yelled at her in frustration.

"Maybe we don't!" She had retorted before she could stop herself.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Maybe we should break up!" Rukia had told him, and she should have regretted her words instantly, but she hadn't.

"Fine!" Ichigo had shouted, taking his jacket and headed towards the door.

"Fine!" She had replied, sitting on her couch and crossing her arms.

"Fine!" He roared one last time before slamming the door shut behind him.

Now it was almost 24 hours later, and Rukia was still sitting on the couch. But this time she wasn't mad any longer. She felt remorse.

She had finally done it.

She had finally gone and made Ichigo so angry he had stormed out of her apartment. That had never happened before.

Most of all, she had finally gone and said something she regretted and that she didn't know how to take back.

For all effects and purposes, they were done. Ichigo hadn't tried calling her even once. No texts either. Not even a stupid meme shared on her Facebook wall. Zilch. Nada. That had never happened before. Each and every time after a nasty argument, Ichigo had called her the following day to apologize. He had even gone to her apartment, carrying with him chocolates, or her favorite manga, or the movies she enjoyed to watch, and he would apologize. But it seemed that now he wouldn't budge. Maybe he was tired of always being the one to grovel first. Rukia had her Kuchiki pride, installed by her brother, and it was so difficult to say it was sorry. She had never given the first step. Ichigo deserved so much better than that. If she wanted him back into her life, she should treat him much better. And she possibly needed to start doing it now.

Rukia loved him. She loved him even with his bad temper and his issues. She loved him so naturally it was hard to describe sometimes. And she also knew she was lucky. Ichigo, for all of his problems, was a good match. He was dedicated. He was kind. He was a family kind of guy. He was good with kids and animals alike. He paid all of his bills. He was smart, even when he acted like a fool. He understood her perfectly. And he was handsome to boot. What else did she need? She would never find anyone like him out there. If Rukia let him go now, she would surely regret it. She was regretting it now. It was high time she went and gave the first step herself.

Filled with resolve, she rummaged in her closet to get her jacket. She slipped it on, and grabbed a purse, her cellphone, and keys before exiting her apartment.

Ichigo's apartment wasn't that far away from her own. If you walked, it took twenty minutes tops. If you took the bus, they were reduced to fifteen minutes, give or take depending on traffic. For convenience's sake, they had been talking about moving in together soon. As she walked towards her destination, Rukia decided to bring it up again. Surely things would have been much easier if they lived in the same place. At least then, they would have been forced to have a serious conversation if only to have a place to stay at. Today she couldn't be bothered to take the bus. If she ran, she would be able to arrive in fifteen minutes, or so she thought. Thus, she ran all the way, passing by streets, people, stray dogs. She avoided the crowd and took all the shortcuts she knew by heart. In a record of thirteen minutes, she got to the building where Ichigo lived. It was less nice than the place she lived in, mostly because she had the support of her brother's money and Ichigo had to pay everything by himself, but it was familiar. This was the place they had spent so many amazing nights together.

Breathless and dizzy, either for the run or due to all the feelings that were currently making their way across her chest, Rukia went in the lobby and didn't even wait for the elevator. Not wanting to lose her nerve, she walked up the stairs, almost tripping several times. Finally she arrived at apartment number 15, Ichigo's home. Rukia hesitated before knocking. She had the key to the apartment. She could get in if she wanted to, but she considered that it would have been rude, especially given the circumstances. Then knocking it was. She closed her hand and knocked with her knuckles. No answer. Maybe she had done it too softly. She tried again, harder this time. Still nothing. Getting impatient, she but rammed the door.

"Ichigo!" She yelled from behind the door.

 _Nothing_.

Rukia knocked several times, and before she realized it ten minutes had gone by without Ichigo answering the door. She felt frustrated and angry but, most of all, confused.

 _Just where the hell was Ichigo?_

* * *

Ichigo found himself still fuming as he paced around his room. He had done everything he could to calm down. He had listened to calm music, forgoing his usual rock repertoire. He had swept and moped the floor. He had called his sisters, which usually got him in a good mood. He had hit the gym, and had fun hitting the punching bag. He had even run into Grimmjow there, and they had had a boxing match. Ichigo had won faster than he had intended due to his murderous aura. After that, he had gone home and taken a relaxing bath. Finally, he had resorted to reading his favorite Shakespeare play. Still nothing. His mood hadn't improved one bit. If anything, it was worse now. He had been able to distract himself for a while, but in truth all his thoughts revolved around one person.

Kuchiki Rukia.

His best friend.

His girlfriend for the past five years.

The same one who had broken up with him yesterday.

The thought was depressing in itself.

Contrary to popular belief, Ichigo wasn't an idiot. Okay, he was slow sometimes, and maybe too rash to act in some others, but he really wasn't an idiot. He had always known falling in love with Rukia would be difficult. She had her insecurities, which made sense once he had learned all the things she had had to go through. If anything, they made him want to try harder to break her shell. He wanted more than anything for Rukia to be happy, and to enjoy being herself, because really, she was probably the most amazing person out there. And for this reason, in high school he had tried real hard to push his feelings away, knowing he didn't stood a chance. That didn't mean their friendship was hurt, though. If anything, Ichigo had tried with all his might to keep being friends with her, even if his attempts ended up in them fighting. He didn't know why they were like that, but they ended up bickering one way or another.

"The answer is simple, Kurosaki." Ishida told him one day after Ichigo had shared with him his confusion as to why they always ended up arguing. "It's your pent-up sexual frustration."

Ichigo, back then only seventeen years old, had become flustered. "M-my what now?"

"Pent-up sexual frustration. Yours. _Hers_. The two of you are a bomb waiting to activate and explode if you don't solve your issues." His friend had explained matter-of-factly, not even blinking once. "That's why you always fight. Because you want to be close to each other, but both of you don't know how to handle these feelings, so you fight. Fighting is easier for you than talking like normal people."

It… actually made sense. It explained why Ichigo itched to touch Rukia sometimes. Why their faces got closer when they fought. Why every little thing ignited a fight. It was all about their unresolved feelings. By then, Ichigo knew he had a crush on her, but he hadn't really noticed to what extent until that moment. "What do I do, then?" He had asked Ishida. He was smarter than him after all.

He started smirking, and that was when Ichigo knew he had messed up. "Kiss her."

"Ishida!"

Well, the little prick had been right.

They finished high school and graduated. Only Rukia and he had been accepted to the same university, so they found themselves hanging around each other more often than before (and that was saying something since they spent a great deal of time together). Now that they were a bit older, some things were impossible to ignore. He knew he loved her as more than a friend. It wasn't simply a crush anymore. And it was a nightmare having her so close and yet so far. Especially since Rukia liked to crash in his apartment. It was too much having her wearing his shirts as if it wasn't a big deal. Ichigo honestly shouldn't have been so surprised when they had ended up kissing after yet another argument. The can of worms opened and their feelings were out in the open. They had decided to become a couple officially and that's how the last five years had gone by.

Getting together didn't mean they had stopped bickering. It was just less common now. The problem was certain things never did change. Ichigo was stubborn. He couldn't deny it. His father often joked that he had been stubborn even before birth, being born almost a month before the due date because he was, and he quotes his father here, "too eager to live." His stubbornness made him difficult to deal with, and he accepted it, he ownedit. That was why each and every single time they fought, it was he who had to give in and ask for forgiveness. And yeah, most of the times all their major fights had been his fault. He was too protective of her, even if Rukia could take care of herself. Maybe a little jealous. A little distracted. A lot foolish, like she claimed. But Rukia was at fault too. She was impossible sometimes, and even if he could read her like an open book, it was hard for him to identify the cause of her moods. Her childhood hadn't been easy, and she hadn't had the same luck as he had to have a healthy example of how relationships work. He was patient. He had always been. But now Ichigo had to consider if Rukia was actually giving enough to this relationship.

Last night had been the last straw.

In all of their fights, neither had ever considered breaking up, under the assumption both loved each other too much to separate now. But, last night, Rukia had just randomly told him to break up. Her words still haunted him and caused his heart to ache painfully. Why would she suggest it? Wasn't he good enough for her? He knew he wasn't, but Ichigo thought he had gotten close. Possibly. And did she really want to throw away the five years they had been together, plus the other five they had been just friends? That was a ten year relationship thrown down the drain. Had he really meant that little to her?

No.

Ichigo knew that wasn't right.

He _knew_ Rukia, of that he was sure.

He had stormed out of her apartment yesterday because he had needed to cool down. He hadn't cooled down completely but he was starting to see things clearly. He loved her. He loved her so damn much it was painful. He would die for her. He would kill for her. He would conquer a whole kingdom for her sake. That was the intensity of his love, and it honestly was scary sometimes, but he was glad that he felt this way. Rukia made him feel alive, as if he could quite literally touch the sky. And Ichigo was sure she felt the exact same way. He _knew_ her. He had known her for so long that he could pick up her true feelings. If she had stopped loving him, she would have told him, because she was honest like that. Rukia would have told him so he wouldn't be living a lie. If Rukia had said such a thing the day before, it had only been in the heat of the moment. She hadn't meant it. And if he hadn't gotten a call or a text was probably because she had been thinking too much about this situation, just like he was.

Ichigo stood up and quickly grabbed his keys and his cellphone.

He would go to her, like he always did. Not out of a sense of acting like the bigger person, but because he needed to see her now.

He hadn't called her either. Or even texted her.

He could see her clearly being a mess, wondering if they had broken up for real.

He wouldn't let them. Not over such a ridiculous thing he couldn't even recall.

Both had said awful things last night they both regretted. It was normal. They could get pass this and talk like normal people for a change.

Ichigo ran to the bus stop and was lucky enough to see that the bus that would lead him to Rukia's apartment had just arrived. He got in and made a solid time record of thirteen minutes. He got off the bus, and went to her apartment. The man at the lobby already knew him and smiled cordially at him. He walked up the stairs, not bothering to take the elevator, until he reached her apartment. He had the key to open the door, but thought better of it. Rukia might throw something at his face if he did that. So he knocked and waited. Nothing. He tried again, harder this time. Still nothing.

 _What the hell?_

"Rukia!" Ichigo yelled as he knocked harder, but she still didn't answer.

 _Where the hell was she?_

* * *

Rukia fumed as she glared at the door.

So it was clear as day that Ichigo wasn't home. The question now was just where the hell he was. He had no plans today, and she knew this because they had meant to spend the day together. There was no party going on. Not get-together from their friends. No Kurosaki family event. Realistically, he could have gone grocery shopping or something along those lines, but Rukia wasn't thinking straight. All she knew was that she had had a fight with her boyfriend, and now he wasn't home. She had seen enough movies and read enough books to know where this was going, and she didn't like it one bit.

Ichigo was a _very_ attractive man. Girls had been after him even when they were in high school and he had yet to develop the six pack that he now had. Boy went to the gym almost every single day and it showed. But he had other major qualities that were hard to miss. Deep brown eyes. Chiseled jaw. Strong arms. Long legs. Straight nose. And her favorite one: his orange tresses, which were soft to the touch. Girls turned to look at him everywhere he went. And when they got to know him, they liked him more for how kind Ichigo truly was. It wasn't hard to miss why she was in love with him to begin with. The problem was other girls saw what Rukia saw and had a thing for him. And they were all his _friends_. Now, she wasn't the jealous type, but it was hard to ignore when others were ogling your man. She could name them all. Senna, the exchange student Ichigo had met in high school. Riruka from college. Nelliel from the gym. Even Inoue wasn't completely over her crush for him and still blushed once in a while in his presence. He could have gone to any of them for they were friends. In fact, he could be hanging out with them, and a vicious voice inside Rukia told her that they would try to _cheer him up_.

God, she felt like punching a wall.

Her insecurities and the guilt she was feeling ate at her.

They were all better looking than she was, with bigger breasts, longer hair, _taller_ , and less annoying than she was. Not one of them would ever push a man like Ichigo away. They would treat him right, and give him whatever he wanted. Rukia could see it now. The reason why she pushed him away in high school. To save herself from this exact moment of doubt and self-loathing. Did a girl like her really deserve the likes of Kurosaki Ichigo?

Realistically speaking, she had a lot of things to give. She came from a good family. She was hardworking. She was kind and smart and honest. She had a great job, and a shining future ahead of her. And even if Rukia didn't consider herself as such, she was indeed beautiful, what with her black hair, soft porcelain skin, and big, bright eyes. She was petite, but she had her own lovely curves. All attributes Ichigo greatly appreciated, and he didn't even hide such appreciation at this point. If her mind wasn't so jumbled, she would have realized he wasn't the kind of person to throw away a five year old relationship for a one night-stand. He had shown her time and time again how much he cared about her. And, if Ichigo had ever been attracted to any of them, they wouldn't be dating in the first place. He had met them all before they had kissed for the first time. No, Ichigo had been loyal to her from the moment he realized he liked her.

And yet…

And yet her cruel mind was showing her images of Ichigo doing the unspeakable with all of them.

Now she was utterly disgruntled.

Rukia sighed. Maybe it was better if she left instead of staying outside his apartment, picturing stupid things. She could go back home, have a warm bath, order pizza and watch a movie while eating ice cream. Then, perhaps, she could text Ichigo saying they needed to talk the following day or something. With this idea in mind, she got up and was about to leave when her phone started ringing. The sound startled her. She hadn't been expecting to receive a call. Curious, she grabbed the phone from her purse and almost dropped it when she saw who was calling her.

 _Incoming call from Ichigo_

She wanted to cry. Give it to Ichigo to call in the most inappropriate moment. (Or was it the most appropriate?). Without thinking too much, she accepted the call and put the phone close to her ear. "Hello?"

"Rukia!" His voice thundered from the device. "Where the hell are you?"

"Huh?" She mumbled, dumbfounded. What did he mean?

"Don't give me that! I'm outside you're apartment and you're not answering, so I know you're not home. Where are you?"

Okay.

Now Rukia actually did cry.

"Rukia?! Hey, what's wrong? Are you hurt?!" She cried harder after listening to Ichigo's panicked voice. He did care.

"I'm outside your place." She managed to say after taking a deep breath.

Ichigo went silent for a moment, before saying, "Stay there. I'm coming."

With that, the call ended.

Rukia fell to the ground feeling a million emotions at once. She hugged her knees and buried her face into her arms.

Ichigo still cared about her.

Ichigo had gone looking for her. It seemed they had had the exact same idea.

And, most importantly, Ichigo was coming, and then they would actually get to talk.

That was great, wasn't it? It was what she had wanted in the first place, after all.

But Rukia felt dizzy, her hands shook, and it was getting very difficult to breathe with the way her heart was hammering inside her chest.

Her whole relationship with Ichigo depended on this talk, and it better go well.

* * *

Ichigo wanted nothing more than to laugh like a maniac. Of course _this_ would happen to them.

After knocking several times and hearing no movement inside, he concluded Rukia had gone out. For some reason the thought that she had been able to go outside after what had transpired between them, pissed him off. He wondered if maybe his assessment was incorrect, and she hadn't been wallowing in self-pity like he had done since yesterday. Did she not want him anymore? Well, he was going to find out whatever the case. So, acting impulsively, he had called her. Rukia answered at the third ring and had only mumbled a reply when he had asked her where she was the first time. Ichigo hadn't been counting on her to suddenly start crying, though. Shouting, yes. Giving him the cold shoulder, expected. Crying? Never. Rukia didn't cry often, and when she did it was for a good reason. The fact she just started sobbing out of nowhere made him worry that something terrible had happened to her. Thankfully, she had managed to say she was outside his apartment and that was when he had gotten it.

Rukia was crying because she was relieved.

She had probably gone to his apartment only to find no one, much like he had done, and had probably come up with many outlandish reasons as to why he was gone. It was incredibly ironic that both had decided to leave at around the same time, and that they hadn't run into each other. The whole situation was absurd, which was why Ichigo had to hurry. Rukia had been waiting for him long enough.

He didn't even stop to take the bus. He decided to run all the way. Such trivial matters as exhaustion didn't matter when the love of his life was outside of his home crying her eyes out. She needed him, and Ichigo needed her. They needed to clear their misunderstanding. They needed to solve their issues and finally find a common ground. He knew they could do it. They had been through so much and they had known each other for so long to let things just end. Neither wanted that. So he ran and ran until he reached his apartment building. He basically flew through the stairs until he reached his own floor, and there, outside his apartment, Rukia was sitting, arms covering her head. The sight was heart-breaking. Ichigo calmly walked towards her and it was only until he was right in front of her that he spoke.

"You know, you could've waited for me inside." He told her. He knew she had the key anyway.

Rukia turned to look up at him with big, sad eyes. "Ichigo…"

He sighed, and then took her hand to pull her up to her feet. Once she was standing, Ichigo didn't let go of her hand. "Come on, let's go inside." He muttered as he searched for his key with his other hand.

He unlocked the door and ushered her in. He made Rukia sit down on his couch while he went to the kitchen to get them hot chocolate. The weather was getting chilly, and it looked as if it would rain soon. Once that was ready, he walked to the living room and sat beside her. Rukia hadn't moved an inch since she had arrived. She was looking at the floor as her hands fumbled with each other. Ichigo poked her with his elbow and handed her the mug. She took it with frail hands and took a sip. He followed suit and enjoyed the silence for a moment. It wasn't necessarily awkward, but the tension was palpable.

"So…" Ichigo started saying, about to start talking when he was interrupted.

"Ichigo, I'm so sorry!" Rukia told him, leaving the mug on the coffee table and facing him fully.

"Rukia, I─"

"No, let me apologize." She cut him off. "You always apologize first, and this time it's my turn." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I didn't mean it, you know. Any of what I said last night. I just got upset and said the first thing that came to mind, and it was a mistake. It was also a mistake to wait for you to call or anything. I should've done that." Ichigo smiled at her, but Rukia all but ignored the signs that she had already been forgiven. "I don't want us to break up. It's the opposite really. I want us to stay together forever." She said with conviction, blushing at that last part. "Do you feel that way?" She asked and she looked so vulnerable Ichigo wanted nothing more than to gather her in his arms and never let go.

"I do." He said and Rukia beamed. "I'm sorry too."

"You're forgiven."

"You too." He told her, holding her hands.

"So, you really think we can work our problems out?" She asked him.

"I'm sure. This is a good start, too." Ichigo said reassuringly, rubbing her palms. "Who would've thought we'd get the same idea?"

Rukia giggled and that made his heart soar. Then, she stopped and looked at him in the eye. "That was why you weren't home, right? You went to my apartment?" She asked, looking unsure.

He chuckled. "Yeah. I took the bus to your apartment, and when I arrived you were nowhere to be found. Why?" He asked when he saw how she bit her lip.

"Well… I thought maybe you had gone somewhere else… with _someone_ else…" She trailed off, avoiding his inquisitive look.

Ah.

Silly, Rukia.

As if he would ever change her for someone else.

Without thinking, Ichigo grabbed her and held her really tight. "I'd never do that to you."

Rukia sniffed and then nodded. "I know. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." He said, nuzzling her head and inhaling her sweet perfume. God, he had missed her so much!

"Ichigo?" She suddenly called him without breaking their embrace.

"Yeah?"

"Can I stay here with you for the night?"

He chuckled at her question. In all honesty, that was exactly what he wanted.

Ichigo pulled away and leaned down to kiss her on the mouth. It was a kiss filled with longing and love. "Of course." He said after the kiss had ended.

Rukia gave him one of those smiles she only reserved for him and nodded, just before she leaned down and kissed him even more passionately than before. Ichigo gladly kissed her back, and he suddenly stood up and carried her to his room.

They were definitely not going to leave any time soon.

* * *

 **A/N:** So, to be honest I've never been in this situation. My longest relationship has lasted 8 months, and when we broke up I sure as hell didn't think I'd want to make up. And, you'd honestly think that people in long term relationships wouldn't feel so insecure, right? Well, I have a friend (the same one that got married recently) and she told me that sometimes she got very insecure of her relationship with her then boyfriend, even if they had been together for several years. That it had happened after an argument that she'd say she wanted them to break up only to regret it. That wasn't what she truly wanted. That was her insecurity talking. Thankfully, her boyfriend knew her well enough to realize she never meant any of that, and he kept showing her that they would last. She told me all of this about four years ago, a bit before they got engaged. Now they're married and they're the people with the healthiest relationship I know. I tried to channel this situation through Ichigo and Rukia, and how they would act given the case. I feel like they'd never let their relationship crumble due to insecurities. So, this is the result of that little introspection.


	36. Rendezvous

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** What is this? Am I updating this collection earlier today? You bet! As I said yesterday, the following prompts should be easier to write, and as such, all updates will be faster. Who knows. You might get a second one later today. Anyway, as I also told you at the beginning or IR Month, some of the one-shots will be shorter, and this one's the case. Although it's short, I'm quite proud of the way it turned out. When I read the ninth prompt, I knew everyone was just going to write or draw angsty pieces and I was right. Therefore, I took a diffrent route. Expect funny and steamy times from this story. I hope you all like it!

By the way, I'll try to wirte the rest of the prompts as quickly as possible, but I might not finish after August is over, so I might have to continue until September. The problem's I'll start classes again, so let's see how much free time I have left. But, I promise, even if it takes me a year, I'll complete them.

Thank you all for your support!

See you soon!

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **Maiko:** I'm glad you liked the chapter better now that it wasn't scary. Poor Ichigo, he just cannot catch a break from Rukia's teasing. Too bad he didn't get any evidence... or _did_ he? I'm glad you liked it, and, who knows, maybe in the future I'll wrote more Bleach Unsolved episodes. Thanks again for reviewing!

* * *

Rendezvous

 **Prompt:** not the first, but definitely the last

 **Summary:** They really have got to stop meeting in the janitor's closet.

* * *

"Where are you going, Kuchiki-san?" Inoue and the rest of the girls asked her the moment she stood up.

Rukia faked a smile, the same one she was used to giving others. "Ah… to the restroom. And maybe to get a water bottle."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Inoue asked, almost standing up.

Any other day, she would have accepted, but not today. "No, it's fine. You haven't finished your lunch yet."

At the mention of her food, Inoue started smiling. "Ah, right. Well, see you later, Kuchiki-san."

"Yeah, see you, Kuchiki-san!" The others told her.

"Yeah. See you in class."

With that said, Rukia walked calmly away from the tree where she usually sat during lunch with her friends. Once inside the school building, and away from the prying eyes of her classmates, she started running until she got to her destination. Third floor. The janitor's closet. She tried to hide the smirk that wanted to bloom on her face, but she couldn't stop it. Feeling adrenaline pumping through her veins, she opened the door. As expected, it was dark inside with the light switched off. She wasn't frightened, though. Darkness was exactly what she needed. Rukia stepped inside and, suddenly, a pair of muscular arms wrapped around her body, pulling her to a hard chest. The door closed soon after.

" _Ichigo_." She admonished the other person in the room for his rash behavior. However, her annoyance was soon forgotten when his lips started trailing kisses down her neck.

Ichigo smirked at the satisfied sounds she was making. "You're late and you need to be punished." He said, pushing her against the wall, his lips still sucking and biting down her skin.

"If you give me a hickey, I'm going to be so pissed." Rukia said faking anger, when really, she was enjoying herself. She ran her fingers through his orange tresses, and pulled him closer when the need was too much.

"That's not what you said last time." Her boyfriend said, as he started unbuttoning her white shirt to show more untainted skin he was wishing to redden.

"Well, nii-sama asked me why I was wearing a scarf in the middle of summer. I had to fake a col─" She started explaining, when she moaned. " _Ah_ … right there."

"Your wish is my command." Ichigo said, licking his lips as he took in the scene in front of him. Rukia, with her eyes closed, lips parted, cheeks flushed, and back arching due to his ministrations. This was heaven right there. He started giving her neck open mouthed kisses, which made her moan louder. One hand held her hips, while the other slipped inside her shirt, caressing the smooth skin underneath. Rukia held his head closer with her hands on his head, but she needn't do that. He was exactly where he wanted to be.

Rukia was spiraling out of control. It always happened whenever she was with Ichigo. There was a fire that burned inside her every time they saw each other, and the only way to let it out was to meet in hidden places. She had known it would be this way from the very first time they had kissed each other seventeen months ago, after spending an evening skating. They had been very shy at first, but being who they were, they soon had fallen into a pattern. Both were passionate people and their meetings were equally as passionate. The problem was they couldn't do such activities in the public eye, so they had to hide.

When the ache was getting impossible to subdue, Rukia knew it was time to get things to the next level. She pried Ichigo's lips away from her neck, and then she smacked their mouths together, slipping her tongue in his parted crevice. Ichigo growled and lifted her from the ground. Her legs instantly wrapped around his waist as he deepened the kiss. Their lips moved in unison as their tongues played with each other. They didn't even need to speak to know what the other wanted. That was how in synch they were. Ichigo suddenly grabbed her ass and she gasped, breaking away from the heated kiss. Oh, so this was how he was going to play it. He also needed to get punished for that one. She smirked at him, eyes gleaming with lust, as she dropped to the ground and then proceeded to slam him against the opposite wall. However, what was supposed to be a sensual display of dominance, turned into a comedy sketch when Ichigo tripped with a broom and fell to the ground with a loud thud. Instantly, Rukia started giggling. Her giggles turned into laughter, and she had to use the wall to support herself.

"It's not funny." Ichigo grumbled as he stood up, dusting his uniform.

"Oh, it is." She replied as she wiped her tears away.

He sighed and then groaned. "This totally wouldn't have happened if we had stopped making out in the janitor's closet." He mumbled.

Well, he _had_ a point.

Ever since they had started dating, they had needed to find a place to kiss in peace. Their combined brainstorming led them to the place they had been looking for. The janitor's closet on the third floor was the one which was used the least. It was usually unoccupied and left by itself during school time. It was just perfect for them. So, they took every opportunity they could get to sneak away to the janitor's closet. Lunch time. Free periods. After school, faking they were going to study in the library. They had been doing this for so many months, and they hadn't been caught yet. The problem was that, as perfect as it was, the janitor's closet wasn't the most _ideal_ location. It wasn't romantic, even if Rukia nor Ichigo cared about such things. It was exhilarating, even, to be passionately kissing in a place where they could get easily caught. But they were prone to accidents while in there. This wasn't the first time Ichigo had tripped. Other times, buckets and bottles of detergent had fallen on them. Rukia had bumped her head with the shelves more than once. It was getting tiring to ignore these things as they craved each other's companies even more these days.

"And what other place do you suggest?" Rukia asked him coyly.

"Your room. Or my room." Ichigo said in a way that implied he had been thinking about this for a while.

She sighed. "You know we can't."

Rukia's brother was overprotective and old fashioned. Kuchiki Byakuya firmly believed his sister should remain a virgin until marriage. And he wasn't exactly fond of Ichigo as his future bother-in-law either. If he ever discovered what they had been up to for over a year now, he would have been furious with both of them. Betraying her brother's trust wasn't something Rukia wanted to do, and if they did what they did in the janitor's closet in her very own room, the chances of being caught increased. (Also Byakuya would never let Ichigo set foot in her room, in any case). As for the Kurosaki household, well, Ichigo's family was nosey. Even before they had started dating, Isshin and Yuzu had been convinced they were already together. They had eavesdropped on them whenever they worked on homework in Ichigo's room. They had taken conversations they were having out of context. One time, Isshin had slammed the door open, expecting to find them in a compromising position, when they had been, in fact, only playing videogames. Of course all these situations had been completely embarrassing to say the least. Now imagine what the outcome would have been if they had been making out in his room. They both shuddered by just thinking about it.

"Well, it's not like Byakuya has cameras in your room… _right_?"

Rukia snorted. "He doesn't but that's not the point."

"Then what is it?" Ichigo retorted.

"If nii-sama finds us out, he might never let me see you again. Worst case scenario, he will kill you with one of his many katana." She explained.

"Ugh. Why did you have to get an overprotective brother?" He grumbled.

"You'll understand nii-sama soon enough when Yuzu and Karin start dating." Rukia said just to annoy him.

Ichigo's eyes got darker as he glared at the invisible images of two teen boys defiling his sisters. "They'll never see the light of day if they touch them."

"Exactly." She said, amused by his words.

"Well, then, my room."

"You know your father never lets us be alone in your room. And you don't want your sisters to walk in on us." They were too young to be seeing those images.

Ichigo sighed. "We can probably get away with it when both crazy goat chin and the girls are out." He replied.

"But the chances of that happening in the same day are slim." Rukia added.

They had been through this conversation before, and nothing had changed in all this time. They were back to square one.

"Well, then, let's just hold on until I get my own place." Ichigo said.

She blinked once and then twice. "Pardon?"

"My own place." He said again, and then he got uncomfortable, scratching the back of his head. "I've been saving up money to rent my own apartment after we graduate." He explained, and upon seeing Rukia's expression, he added, "It'll be easier to study for college without my old man there. Don't think anything funny!"

Ichigo had been working on odd jobs for many months now. Rukia had always assumed he wanted to have more money than the one his father gave him as allowance to afford things he might want to buy. She wouldn't have guessed his true goal was to become independent. It made sense. It was so Ichigo to do something like that.

She grinned at him. "Your own place? You're so grown up now, Ichigo!"

"Shut up. You act as if it weren't normal." He grumbled, crossing his arms as his cheek flushed red. Embarrassed Ichigo made for an adorable sight. She giggled.

"Well, then we'll have our own space for such _activities_." Rukia said as she walked sultrily towards him, trapping him against the wall.

He smirked. "Getting excited now?"

"Of course. Can I get to decorate it?" She added, fluttering her lashes at him.

"Oh, hell no! You'll make it look girly!"

"Don't be so dramatic! I'll have you know I possess great taste!"

With that, bickering ensued and, at the end of it, they started laughing. Ichigo leaned down and kissed her softly.

"When I get my own place, we won't need to hide anymore."

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

When graduation day finally came, Ichigo and Rukia sneaked away from their families and friends after the ceremony, and went to the janitor's closet on the third floor. They closed the door behind them, and immediately started kissing passionately against the wall.

"I thought you hated this place." Rukia muttered between kisses.

"I just thought we needed to properly say goodbye to the closet. After all, it's witnessed many of our escapades." Ichigo said, lifting her up to have better access to her neck.

"Then let's say goodbye with a bang!" She exclaimed before pulling him up for another breathtaking kiss.

Their mouths moved against each other at the same time as their hands roamed all over their bodies. Rukia slipped a hand inside Ichigo's shirt and palmed his tone abdomen. He growled and pulled her closer, a hand grabbing her firm ass. She moaned his name loudly, grabbing his shirt to keep herself form falling. His mouth started trailing kisses down her neck, as Rukia kept on touching his chest. He started unbuttoning her shirt, until he could see her bra. Ichigo sucked on the tender skin, making her claw his back. That wasn't a new move by any means, but it was one which always surprised her. Imitating him, she also unbuttoned his shirt, finally seeing his amazing abs. She trailed his chest with a slender finger from top to bottom, making his Adam's apple bobble. She grinned and then pulled Ichigo down for another kiss. He instantly sucked on her bottom lip, one hand massaging her breast, while the other kept her in place. Rukia moaned against his mouth, parting her lips for his tongue to enter. They could taste each other, that particular flavor that they only possessed mingling with the other and creating a unique combination. Fire blossomed in their bellies as they continued kissing. To think that, soon, they would be able to go even beyond this was thrilling.

They pulled away and Ichigo let his forehead touch hers. "How's that for a bang?"

Rukia giggled and kissed his swollen lips softly. "That was a bang, alright."

He chuckled and smiled at her so lovingly it melt her heart. "To be honest, I'm gonna miss this place."

"You're getting nostalgic and we haven't even left yet!" She exclaimed, amused by his reaction.

"It's just, we've had a lot of firsts here…" Ichigo said, gesturing at the closet. "It's weird to think that this is definitely the last time."

Rukia's expression softened. She started reminiscing every moment spent there. The first time her lips had parted to let Ichigo's tongue trail in. The first time she had felt bold enough to let him kiss her neck. The first time she ever gave him a hickey. The first time he had unbuttoned her shirt, wanting to see more skin. The first time she had felt his toned body down his shirt. She remembered them all. All those touches in the dark. All the sounds they had made. The thrill of the rush of doing something forbidden. Then, there were the other less passionate moments. Things toppling down on them. Laughter and giggling. Their deep conversations about their pasts and their future. The sense of comradery that had remained with them even after dating.

They had made out in that closet for the span of two years. Now it was hard to think that this would be the last time.

"Hey, if it makes you feel better, we can always find a new closet in our university." Rukia joked. It was lucky they had gotten accepted in the same one.

"Our closet days are over. From now on, we'll use my bed." Ichigo declared. He had managed to rent his own apartment at the end. Isshin, ever helpful, had promised to support him, but that he needed to get a part-time job anyway.

The idea of using his bed opened a world of new things they could try.

It sent shivers down her spine.

"Oh, Kurosaki-kun's getting bold~!" She teased him, making him blush.

"Shut up! You want it too!"

It was Rukia's turn to get red. "Well, yeah, I do…"

Ichigo grinned at her. "Good. Because from now on, that's what we're gonna do."

"Wait! We have to study! And what about our part-time jobs?"

He rolled his eyes. "It'll fit into our schedules. We'll make time."

With that, the conversation was over and they decided it was time to leave. They straightened their clothes and fixed their tousled hair. Once they were ready, Ichigo opened the door. They gave the closet one last glance, memorizing every nook and cranny, as the memories of all their times together invaded them. Then, they held hands and, together, they left, heading towards whatever the future had in store for them. It would be bright as long as they were together, that was for sure.

* * *

 **A/N:** Honestly, Ichigo should have been showned living by himself at the end instead of still living in the Kurosaki Clinic. He had dreams of living by himself and becoming independent. Remember how hard he was working? I've said it before and I'll say it again: Kurosaki Ichigo deserved better, especially from his own creator.

Also, if you don't think Ichigo and Rukia have a closet kink, you're wrong.


	37. You And Me

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** Yo! remember when I told you most one-shots would be short from now on? Well, I lied to you like I freaking liar. I meant for this one-shot to be short and it turned into this monstruosity. One of the longest ones in this collection. This is why I didn't upload it yesterday or the day before like I was supposed to do. I hope the length makes up for it. Anyway, today we have the "childhood friends to lovers" prompt and let me tell you I'm a sucker for that shit. Main reason why I used to ship RenRuk to begin with long ago. I like those type of stories. But I also relate because I fell in love with my childhood friend. Except I didn't end up with him. Maybe that's why I like them. To live vicariously through them. Well, this one-shot ended up being more dramatic than I had intended but hope you like it. It was a pleasure to write. So, it is made up from small snippets of the lives of Ichigo and Rukia through the years. It's about their bond and friendship and, later, feelings for each other.

As always, thank you all for your continuous support. It makes me happy to know you like what I write.

See you soon!

(I recommend listening to the song "You And Me" by Lifehouse, because I listened to it as I wrote it.)

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **Maiko:** Thank you very much! I'm glad you liked how I portrayed their relationship and that the point I was trying to make came across. I had forgotten about Dengeki Daisy until you brought it up! I only read it because the characters reminded me of IchiRuki but in a shojou! Kurosaki the janitor xD And they didn't get caught because Ishida made sure no one found them out. He was their biggest shipper in school. I also thought Bleach would end like that, with Ichigo being a Shinigami. It was dumb to have him remain a normal human and I'll never forgive Kubo for that. Thanks again!

 **Bleach power:** Thank you! I'm glad it was realistic enough. I feel like I don't write enough about the trifles of dating life, so I took the opportunity with stride.

* * *

You And Me

 **Prompt:** childhood friends to lovers

 **Summary:** From the moment they met at the park, Ichigo had always been in love with Rukia.

* * *

 _5 years old_

That day, Ichigo hadn't wanted to go to the park. He had been sad that his favorite toy, an orange car, had broken when he accidentally let it fall down the stairs. His father had tried to put it back together with glue, but that hadn't worked out. Ichigo, naturally, had felt completely miserable and had started crying. His mother had bought that car for him before his little sisters had been born. It meant the world to him and now it was gone. Seeing him so sad, Masaki, his mother, had told him they should go to the park. Since Yuzu and Karin had been born, they hadn't spent as much time together as they used to. Any other day, Ichigo would have been beyond excited to hang out with her, but not that time. He walked side by side with Masaki, eyes red from crying so much, forehead set permanently in a frown, and mouth rounded as he pouted. The sight would have been funny if he wasn't genuinely disgruntled.

Masaki sighed as her son kept on kicking invisible rocks as they walked. Nothing she and Isshin had done seemed to make him happy. Parenthood was difficult, especially when you had two babies and a young son to worry about. Still, she had firmly believed playing in the park would do the trick. She had brought Ichigo's favorite ball, as well as snacks for a picnic. There were games in the park and there were bound to be other children. Even if Ichigo wasn't the most sociable child, he still felt happy to play with other kids his age. She was counting on that happening. However, when they arrived, the child had been uninterested in playing with his ball. When Masaki had tried to give him the fruit she had brought for the trip, he had told her he wasn't hungry. Not even a chocolate bar tempted him to eat something. Her poor boy had just walked towards the swing and sat there, pouting all the way. Worried, Masaki sat at a nearby bench, close enough to watch her son, but far away enough he wouldn't feel as if she was bothering him. That was when she noticed a little girl walking towards her son. She was carrying two stuffed animals in her chubby arms, and she looked at Ichigo with narrowed eyes. Next to her, a much younger woman sat down.

"Oh dear." The woman muttered as she saw the girl approaching the boy. "There she goes again."

"Is she your daughter?" Masaki asked her.

"Younger sister." She replied. "We just moved here and I'd hoped she would make some friends in the park, but she really doesn't know how to get along with other children."

Masaki giggled. "My son's the same way. Let's see how their first meeting goes." She said, pointing towards the two children. The girl was saying something to her son that had him frowning. "I'm Masaki, by the way." She added, shaking hands with the young woman.

"Hisana."

Even as the other woman looked apprehensive, Masaki had a feeling this was the start of something new.

* * *

Ichigo kept pouting as he sat on the swing without moving. Life definitely was unfair. What had he done to deserve such a tragedy befall on him? No other car would be able to compare to the one he had. It was one of a kind. Because his mother had bought it specifically for him. He genuinely wished his parents would understand that, but he guessed they were more focused on his sisters now. As these thoughts plagued his mind, he didn't notice the figure approaching him until she was right in front of him.

"Hey." A strong but childish voice said. Ichigo raised his head and stared right into two violet eyes. He blinked once, not really comprehending what was going on until the voice spoke louder. "I'm talking to you. Don't ignore me!"

The voice belonged to a girl about his age. She had black hair styled into two pigtails. A single, rebel strand fell between her eyes, making them look bigger than they were. Her skin was very pale, almost like snow, but her cheeks were flushed pink. She was dressed in a pretty pink and white dress and pink shoes to match. In her arms, she was carrying a pink bunny and a yellow lion. She commanded herself with the pride of an adult and her voice was equally as strong. Ichigo had definitely never met someone like her before.

"What do you want?" He spat as he crossed his little arms on his chest.

The girl glared at him. "Are you gonna keep sitting here?" She said, gesturing to the swing.

"What's it to you?" He replied, not wanting to be having this conversation with the strange girl.

"My friends want to swing." She said, motioning to her stuffed animals.

"Those aren't friends. They're toys." He told her with a deadpan.

Her glare turned sharper. "Well, they're the only friends I have."

In any other day, Ichigo would have felt sad that she was friendless, but he was annoyed as it was, and the girl wasn't making it any better. "Sucks to you."

She scoffed. "As if you had friends."

It was his turn to glare at her. "I have friends." Well, he only really spoke to Tatsuki. All the other kids always made fun of his hair. Tatsuki didn't. Although she always bested him at their judo classes. But still, she counted, right?

"Right." She replied, as if she didn't believe him. "Are you gonna leave?"

"No." He grumbled.

"Why?"

"Just 'cause."

"But I want to use the swing!"

"Too bad."

"Why are you so mean?" She complained, pouting.

Ichigo sighed, feeling the beginning of a headache coming. What was up with this girl? Why couldn't she leave him alone so he could wallow in peace? "I'm sad, alright!" He finally exclaimed, completely frustrated with the situation.

The girl blinked and then stared at him in understanding. "I'm sad too."

"Why?" He found himself asking.

"I moved here with my sister, but I didn't wanna go. I miss my old home." She replied. Ichigo sympathized with her. If he had had to leave his own home and friends behind, he would have been sad too. Sadder than he was now. "What about you?"

He mulled over her question. Now that he knew her situation, his own reason for sadness seemed pitiful in comparison. "My favorite car broke. My mom gave it to me and asked me to take care of it, but now it's gone." He said, defeated.

The girl smiled at him softly. "My mommy and daddy are gone." She told him. "But they left these toys behind so I could play with them. Onee-chan always tells me to take care of them." As he heard her, Ichigo felt his heart constricting. He couldn't imagine living without his parents. To think this girl was an orphan but still had the strength to go on was outstanding. "So, here." She said, pushing the lion into his arms.

"W-wait! What are you doing?" He exclaimed, dumbfounded.

"You need it more than I do." She replied. "His name is Kon. Treat him right."

Ichigo looked at the lion. Its body was yellow, its claws were white, and its mane was spiky and brown. It had a white button on the center of its belly. Its ears were pink and it had black beady eyes. It was soft to the touch and surprisingly huggable. He quite liked it, if he was being honest. But he couldn't possibly take it. "But… it's your friend." He muttered. "Why are you giving it to me?"

The girl grinned at him. "Onee-chan always says I should be kind to others, especially if they're in pain. You looked sad, so I decided to give it to you. Besides, he kinda looks like you!"

"Hey!" He complained. "I don't look like him… right?"

She started laughing at his expression and soon Ichigo joined in her laughter as well, his previous sadness forgotten.

"I'm Rukia, by the way." The girl suddenly said, smiling at him.

"I'm Ichigo."

"And this is Chappy." She said, making the bunny wave its little arm. "Do you wanna play with me?"

"Sure."

And just like that their relationship started blooming. Neither could have known that that little moment of kindness would be the beginning of something much more wonderful.

* * *

 _7 years old_

Ichigo entertained himself by throwing rocks at the river. It was fun to see how they skipped in the water. He was about to throw another rock, when someone sat down next to him with a loud thud. He didn't even need to turn around to know exactly who it was.

"Wow. Not even a hello. You've gotten rude." He said in a teasing tone, looking over his shoulder towards where Rukia was sitting.

The girl didn't say anything. In fact, she looked like she didn't want to speak at all. She was wearing her favorite yellow dress, uncaring if it got stained by the grass underneath her. She was hugging her legs as she hid her head on her arms. That wasn't the Rukia he knew. Rukia was always vibrant, always having a witty thing to say on the tip of her tongue. She was warm and bright, like a ray of sunlight.

"What's wrong?" Ichigo muttered, making her turn to look at him. Her usually sparkling eyes were now filled with tears. He felt as if all air had left his stomach.

Rukia _never_ cried. It was something he had found out very early on in their friendship. Ichigo was a crybaby. He cried when he got hurt. He cried when people made fun of his hair. He cried when he lost to Tatsuki in their judo classes. He cried for so many stupid reasons he couldn't even begin to count. But Rukia didn't. If she fell down and scratched her knee, she would just call herself an idiot and stand up. When the older kids who always made fun of his hair bullied her for being short, she would punch them on the face. When she was sad, she drew or went to play with him to feel better. The only other time she had been close to shedding tears had been when someone made fun of the fact she had no parents. However, she had pushed the tears away and had done what she did best: fight.

If Rukia was crying now, something terrible must have happened.

Ichigo instantly took her arms in his hands, searching for invisible wounds. If she was badly hurt, he could always carry her on his back and take her to his father's clinic. Dad would surely know what to do and Rukia would be fine. She _had_ to be fine. He continued inspecting her, only to find nothing. When he was about to ask if maybe her tummy ached, she sprung into his waiting arms and held his neck tightly.

"Onee-chan's leaving me!" Rukia sobbed, her whole body shaking.

Ichigo frowned. That wasn't possible. He knew for a fact that Hisana loved Rukia more than anything in this world. Although she was fifteen years older than her sister, their relationship was closer than any other he had ever seen. Hisana was protective of her baby sister and, without their parents, she did everything possible to raise Rukia. The woman worked hard so they could have a place to live with all the necessities she would need. She was always there for Rukia, no matter what. As an older brother himself, Ichigo knew that protecting your younger sisters was a hard but rewarding job. He would die for Yuzu and Karin. He would never leave them. Hisana was the same if not more protective of her sister than he was with his. Her duty was even bigger than his, after all.

"What do you mean leave you?" He asked her as he hugged her close to him.

"Sh-she met some guy." Rukia croaked out. "And now she's marrying him." She cried.

 _Oh_.

That explained it.

Ichigo had heard about the guy one time he had eavesdropped on his parents. His mom was telling his dad about a man Hisana had met at her job. She worked at a fancy restaurant in town. There, she had met a very wealthy man while she was serving him. He had been impressed by her, said his mom. He had been blinded by her beauty, said his dad. They had been excited for her. Hisana wasn't an average twenty-two year old. She didn't have many friends in Karakura, and the ones she had were older than her. She hadn't been able to go to college, and she worked a low-wage job which left her with not a lot of free time. And when she wasn't working, she was at home taking care of her sister. It wasn't something kind-hearted Hisana would have seen as a great sacrifice, but the people around her did. She had never had a boyfriend before. And so, to have such an important young man become interested in her was astounding. If she married rich, Hisana wouldn't need to work anymore and could lead a peaceful life.

But where did that leave Rukia?

Would Hisana be so heartless as to leave Rukia behind for a bright future?

No.

That was impossible.

Rukia was Hisana's last relative. She would never leave her. Ichigo knew that. He was confident on that.

The mystery now was why Rukia had thought such things.

"What makes you think that?" He asked her as her crying had faded, and just a few tears remained.

Rukia sniffled. "Why would she need me when she has _him_?" She referred to him as if he were the living embodiment of all evil.

"But Hisana-san _loves_ you." Ichigo insisted.

"Well, she loves him more." She said with such certainty, it unnerved Ichigo.

"Rukia." He called her, making her look at him. " _What_ happened?"

Something specific must have occurred for her to have such feelings. Rukia didn't necessarily judge people she had just met. And there must have been a powerful reason to make her believe her very own sister would abandon her.

"At first, onee-chan didn't tell me about him." She started retelling him. "She only introduced him to me to tell me they were getting married. His name is Kuchiki Byakuya and he's very rich. He's always serious and he hardly smiles." Rukia told him as he listened intently to her every word. "I was happy for onee-chan, but…"

"But?" Ichigo prompted her when she grew quiet.

"They had an _engagement party_ with his family yesterday." Rukia said with contempt. "Onee-chan made me wear a very puffy and ugly dress for the event. Then, we went and I could see his family and friends faked smiles when they greeted us. When onee-chan wasn't looking, they glared at her. And then…"

"And then what?"

Here Rukia started crying again. "I overheard some of them talking. They called Byakuya an idiot for falling in love with a poor girl who was obviously a _gold-digger_." She said. "So I spilled punch on their dresses, _accidentally_."

Of course. That was so like Rukia.

She never let that kind of comments go without a consequence, as all of his bullies had soon found out.

"Byakuya was really mad. They fought yesterday night after we came back home. He called me an ill-mannered girl." Her sobs grew louder. "They fought because of me, Ichigo! I don't want onee-chan to be unhappy! But he's right! I don't belong in their family! One day, onee-chan will have babies and I won't be of use to her anymore!" She blubbered as fat teardrops fell from her dimmed eyes. "It'd be better if she abandoned me, but I don't want her to do it! What will happen to me? Maybe I won't even be able to see you anymore."

No.

That couldn't happen.

By any means.

Rukia had been his best friend for the last two years. Ichigo couldn't imagine a life without her, as much as she couldn't imagine a life without Hisana. There must have been a solution to this problem.

"Oh, Rukia." He said before embracing her. "I don't think that'll happen." He reassured her.

"You don't know that." She said pitifully.

"I know Hisana-san loves you very much. If she'd wanted to abandon you, she would've done that when you were a baby. But she didn't, and she raised you." Ichigo explained to her, while patting her back. "The guy she's marrying will have to love you as much as she does, or else I'll give him a piece of my mind." He said, raising a fist for added effect.

Rukia giggled despite herself. "He's much taller and stronger than you."

"One day I'll be taller and stronger than him, you'll see." He grumbled. "But, in any case, Hisana-san won't leave you. And, even if that ever happened, I'd tell my parents to adopt you, and then you could be my third sister." He told her, smiling at her. "You'll see things will be alright."

She smiled sweetly at him with that smile that never failed to take his breath away. "Thanks, Ichigo. For everything."

Pink dusted his cheeks and he started coughing to recover himself. "Now go and apologize to your sister, but also explain what happened. She'll understand."

Rukia smiled and then pecked his cheek, leaving him sputtering. "I'll do that. Bye!" And with that, she ran home, leaving a flustered Ichigo behind.

He recovered and then smiled as he watched her disappear.

That Rukia.

Always making him feel strange things.

* * *

A few months later, Rukia and Ichigo stood next to each other during the wedding reception. Hisana and Byakuya had gotten married after all, and Byakuya had even given the Kuchiki name to Rukia, declaring he had officially adopted her as his sister. The news had made Rukia warm up to him. They would be moving to a neighborhood even closer to where Ichigo lived, so he would be seeing her more often than before, and, for that, he was happy. He turned to look at her. She was wearing a traditional kimono in a lilac color which brought up her eyes. Rukia claimed she didn't like it, but to Ichigo she looked very pretty. Her hair was adorned with white flowers, making her look angelic. For his part, Ichigo was wearing a gray suit with a light blue tie. He hated it but his mother had assured him he looked handsome. In one table, his parents were sitting with other friends, his sisters gently resting in their strollers. Meanwhile, the newlyweds sat on their table, smiling softly at each other.

"By the way," Rukia suddenly muttered next to him. "I did what you told me and I explained everything to onee-chan and Byakuya nii-sama." She had taken to calling her new brother in that way knowing he would appreciate such respect given to his person. "Those women won't be bothering us anymore."

Ichigo grinned. "Those are great news!"

"Yeah." She said, returning his grin. Then, she took his hands in her much smaller ones. "Wanna dance?" She asked but did not wait for his reply as she pulled him to the dance floor.

Although embarrassed, especially when he noticed his dumb father was taking pictures of them and yelling obnoxiously, Ichigo took Rukia's hands and made them sway at the rhythm of the music that was currently playing. When it got more upbeat, he twirled her around. Rukia laughed and it sounded like bells resounding. As they looked into each other's eyes, Ichigo wondered what it would be like if the ones who were getting married were actually Rukia and him.

* * *

 _8 years old_

Ichigo had escaped home.

He knew his father and younger sisters would be worried about him, Yuzu tended to cry when he wasn't around, but he couldn't make himself care about it.

Nothing mattered anymore.

The moment their sun had ceased to exist, so did all the happiness he felt.

He couldn't bear it.

His father looking so lost and upset.

His sisters crying.

The hole which burned inside his chest.

It made him want to scream and gouge his eyes out.

So he ran and ran and ran until he reached the river bank.

When Ichigo had been younger, his parents had taken him to the river bank to feed the ducks. There, they had told him he was going to become an older brother. It had become one of his favorite places since. He returned multiple times with his mother and his father to throw rocks or feed the birds. After Yuzu and Karin had been born, their parents had taken them there for picnics. As he grew older and could leave his house by himself, he had gone plenty more times. Eventually, he had showed Rukia this place and they would often play together, being careful of not falling into the water.

It was _his_ place and naturally where he had run off to.

He had never imagined anyone else would come looking for him there.

"Your dad's been looking everywhere for you!" Rukia exclaimed as she sat next to him. She glared at him when he ignored her. "Hey, I'm talking to you!"

Ichigo shrugged and looked towards the river as the sun began to set. "It doesn't matter."

"What do you mean it doesn't matter?"

"Everyone's better without me." He grumbled.

"No, we're not! Yuzu and Karin have been crying because you were gone!" She snapped at him. "Uncle Isshin has even organized the neighbors to look for you! There's a search party looking for you!"

He sighed. "You should all just let me be."

Rukia mumbled something under her breath and then she whacked him on the head.

"Hey!" Ichigo complained, rubbing his head. "What was that for?"

She stood in her full height and glared at him. "Do you really think you're the only one who's suffering?!" She shouted. "Your sisters are sad. Your dad is sad. _Everyone's_ gonna miss auntie." She changed her tone for a softer one. She sniffed and it was then when Ichigo could finally tell she had been crying. She was as devastated as the rest. Masaki had been like a mother to Rukia for the past three years. Whenever she visited him, his mom would spend some time with her. Masaki was truly like the sun, warming everyone's hearts. "That's reason enough for us to stay all together, right? We can't have you running away like that. You scared us!"

He looked at his palms and then clenched them into fists. "Why?" He whispered.

"Huh?" Rukia said, confused.

"Why do you want me around so badly?!" Ichigo shouted. The brass sound of his voice made her flinch. "It was my fault! Mom's gone because of me! I'm a killer! Why do you even care?! You should all forget about me!" He finally cried, feeling all the emotions he had tried to push down coming pouring out of him. Self-loathing. Despair. Loneliness. Guilt. All coming out of his small body.

Rukia eyed him carefully, and suddenly wrapped her hands around him, pulling him closer to her. "It's not your fault." She mumbled in his ear. "No one blames you, Ichigo."

"But it is…" He insisted, his voice coming out broken. "If I had obeyed her, she wouldn't have run after me…"

Kurosaki Masaki had died two days earlier during a rainy afternoon. His mother had gone to pick him up after his judo classes where over. They had been walking home when Ichigo thought he had seen a girl in trouble in the other side of the street. Uncaring of the incoming traffic, he had ran after the girl. His mother had tried to stop him and, when a speeding car rushed closer, she had used her own body to protect her son. The poor boy had fainted and had woken up to realize his mother was gone forever.

"You couldn't have known." She told him patiently, a hand caressing his hair. "It was an accident…"

"But─"

"Your mother wouldn't have liked seeing you like this. My parents died in an accident too, you know." Rukia began saying, her eyes getting a faraway look. "I was a baby, so I don't have any memories of them. All I've got of them is Chappy, Kon and the things onee-chan tells me. I used to feel sad about that. I felt lonely, like you. But I'm not alone anymore. I have onee-chan, nii-sama, and I have you." She held him closer, burying her head in the crook of his neck. "You're not alone, Ichigo. You have your dad, Yuzu, Karin, and you have me. I'll never leave you."

Ichigo sobbed and held Rukia closer. "It hurts so much." He cried. "Will it ever stop hurting?"

She shook her head. "It just doesn't hurt as bad…"

They remained there, with Ichigo crying his heart out as Rukia held him. When his crying subsided, she gently rubbed his back in a way that reminded him of all the times his mother had comforted him. It made his heart ache at the same time warmth spread through his body.

Ichigo had lost his sun. The person that had made everything better.

But…

He still had his little ray of light, who was currently holding him like no one had ever done before.

It felt as if Rukia's body was designed to fit perfectly against his.

Ichigo sharply inhaled her scent, trying to memorize it for years to come.

Funny…

It smelled kinda like his mom.

He stopped crying and rubbed his eyes. "I think I'm ready to come home."

Rukia had smiled brightly at him. "Okay. Let's go." She took his hand in hers and, together, they walked towards his home, where his father was waiting for him. Ichigo instantly ran towards him, and Isshin quickly scooped him in his arms, reassuring him that he was still loved. Around them, Yuzu and Karin started crying too, holding their father's legs. Rukia remained to the side, smiling softly at the scene.

Hisana put a hand over her shoulder and smiled at her. "You did well, Rukia."

She beamed at her sister.

* * *

 _12 years old_

Ichigo honestly couldn't understand it. Rukia had been ignoring him for the past few days and it made no sense whatsoever. He hadn't even done anything to annoy her. Although it was common that they would sometimes end up bickering due to their similar personalities, they usually made up before the day was over. But not in this occasion. Each time he had tried to speak to her at school, she had ignored him, even if that meant eating lunch by herself. When he had tried to go to her house and ask for her, Hisana had told him Rukia was busy at the moment. He hadn't believed her due to the apologetic smile she had. He had even tried sending her paper notes in class, but she had thrown them away! What was wrong with her?

"Is Rukia-chan still not talking to you?" His father asked him during dinner.

The boy pouted. "She won't even answer the phone." He mumbled, missing his amused smile.

"Have you annoyed her lately?" Karin asked him.

"No." He shook his head.

"Did you tell her she looked pretty?" Yuzu suggested next.

"Rukia doesn't care about that." She wasn't girly in the same way Yuzu was.

"Did she see you with another girl?" Isshin went next, a scary grin on his face.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Ichigo retorted, playing with his food.

"Aha! So it _is_ about another girl!" His father said triumphantly, even standing on the chair for good measure as he pointed at him.

"What?" He asked in disbelief.

"Oh, I can't believe you're becoming a player! I didn't raise you like that!" Isshin exclaimed exaggeratedly to the amusement of his daughters.

"It's not like that!" Ichigo complained, waving his arms desperately.

"Oh, Masaki, help me from heaven! Why is our son becoming like this?!" He yelled to the poster he had hung of his late wife. "Tell our son to stop torturing our third daughter!"

"Shut up!" The boy said, hitting his dad with his fork.

"Ouch!" Isshin said as he fell to the floor. Then he stood up quickly and flashed Ichigo a smile. "Good aim, son! You're getting better at it!"

"Can you go back to your point and tell me what a girl has to do with anything?!" He said in exasperation.

"Oh, that's easy to answer. Rukia-chan is a girl." Isshin started explaining.

"So? Tatsuki's a girl too and she hasn't gotten mad at me yet."

"But you're not as close to Tatsuki-chan as you're with Rukia-chan."

"So? What's your point?"

"That you've been hanging a lot lately with Orihime-chan."

Yeah.

That didn't explain anything.

"Well that's not my fault." Ichigo grumbled. "I feel bad for her, that's all."

Inoue's brother had passed away after getting hurt in an accident. His injuries had been so bad that Isshin hadn't been able to help him in time. Ichigo had stayed with the girl as she waited for news on her brother. He had felt bad for her. Her situation reopened many of his wounds. But, when something similar had happened to his mother, he had had Rukia and his family to look out for him. Inoue had no one. He had attempted to be what Rukia had been to him back then. And so, he had later found out they went to the same school, they just were in different classrooms. He had gone and made sure she was doing fine, now living with her aunt, as she had told him. The girl was nice enough but shy. She didn't say much every time they talked, but Ichigo was just glad she was doing better.

But why would Rukia be mad about that?

"Well, she might feel as if you have replaced her." Isshin answered his question. "Just be sure to reassure her when you see each other again."

Well, that was stupid.

Rukia had no reason to believe that. They had been friends for about seven years now, and she still remained his closest friend. She had no reason to think otherwise. She was just being stupid and jealous. Why did he have to be the one to apologize? Rukia should apologize to him! She was the one to get mad at him, after all. But, on the other hand, Ichigo truly missed her. His mother used to say that, even if things weren't your fault, you could always give the first step. When it comes to relationships, Masaki would say, there are no fixed rules.

His father gently rubbed his head. "Don't think too much about it. Just talk to her." Isshin told her.

That night, Ichigo could hardly sleep. He mulled over exactly what he was going to tell Rukia tomorrow. Thankfully, they didn't have school, so there was no reason as to why he couldn't go to her house to talk. There should be no interruptions too. With that decided, he fell into an unsteady dream. His mind was filled with images of Rukia not wanting to be his friend anymore. Of her ignoring him or, worse, insulting him. Ichigo woke up multiple times with cold sweat dripping down his forehead. And, in the morning, he looked like a zombie, with dark bags under his eyes.

"Bad night?" Isshin asked him during breakfast.

"Couldn't sleep." He muttered as he ate.

"Nightmare?" Yuzu asked him with big worried eyes.

"Yeah…" He replied, feeling embarrassed for being so old now and still getting nightmares.

"You should sleep with Kon." Karin added.

Kon.

He still had the stuffed lion Rukia had given him when they were five. He had put it on his desk. However, during the past few days it had given him more headaches than comfort. It seemed as if it had been taunting him each time he went into his own room.

"Wouldn't work." Ichigo said, but upon seeing the way his sisters looked at him, he flashed them a smile. "Don't worry. I feel fine."

"Onii-chan…" Yuzu whispered.

"There, there. Your brother's fine, right Ichigo?" Isshin said, gently patting the girls on their backs.

"I am." He smiled.

Karin was about to reply when the bell rang. Isshin went to the door and opened it, revealing Rukia outside.

"Is Ichigo home?" She asked shyly, completely opposite to how she usually acted.

"I am." Ichigo said, standing up from the table and rushing to the door. He couldn't believe it! Rukia had actually gone to see him!

"Do… do you want to go for a walk?" She asked him.

"Sure. Let's go!" He said before she could change her mind, already leading her away from his house.

"Just be careful and come back soon!" Isshin called after them. Ichigo waved at him and then went on their way.

They had ended up walking towards the park and, then, to the river bank. Those were their favorite places where they had shared many precious memories. However, Rukia hadn't talked even once. Ichigo didn't even try to make conversation. He knew that she was probably thinking hard. In those cases, it was better to let her speak first. Friendships were a give and take, as his mother used to say. Sometimes, people needed some space. It didn't mean they didn't care about you anymore, though. It was just people needed time to deal with their own problems.

Rukia stopped walking and sat down on the grass. She patted the spot next to her and Ichigo joined her on the ground. She went quiet for a few moments before talking.

"I'm sorry." She told him, looking him straight in the eyes. "I'm sorry for everything."

"Then why did you stop talking to me?" He hadn't meant it in the way it came out. His words were sharper than he had intended, but he needed to know.

"Because… because I was scared and angry." Rukia said as she played with her fingers. "ichigo… do you… do you still want me to be your friend?" She asked him looking so insecure he wanted nothing more than to smack her head for being so dumb. Which he did.

"Of course I still want to be your friend, idiot." He said as he smiled at her. "I was worried you didn't want to be my friend anymore."

"It's not like that!" She denied. "It's just… do you like Inoue more?"

So his father had been right. Well, that just went to show Isshin wasn't a crazy goat… all the time at least. Ichigo shook his head. "Rukia, no one can take your place. I thought you already knew that."

She beamed at him. "Then, can you forgive me?"

"On one condition." He said. Rukia raised an eyebrow at that. "You have to buy me the next _Weakly Ottoko Bounce_ issues for a month."

She rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. "Deal." With that she went to shake his hand, but Ichigo hugged her instead.

"You're my best friend." He whispered in her ear. "Never forget that."

Rukia turned pink and then she laughed. "Idiot. I won't."

"Good."

They remained hugging for a while before parting. They decided to throw rocks and play around before going home.

Years later, Ichigo would realize something had shifted in their relationship that day. What was it? That was something he would have to discover in years to come.

* * *

 _13 years old_

Ichigo knew he would find her there. After all, it was _their_ place.

He really should have known she would bolt right after the funeral. If he hadn't been so shocked by the news, he would have made sure to keep an eye on her. However, the moment he had become distracted, she had taken the opportunity to escape. Now, she was there, still wearing her black dress. He couldn't see her face, for she was hiding it under her arms, but he knew she was crying. He had a déjà vu of another similar situation from long ago. The only difference was that he knew no reassurance would bring her comfort.

He wordless sat next to her, watching as the sun set.

"You know, we really need to stop running away from home." Ichigo muttered, breaking the silence that had installed between them.

Rukia didn't answer right away and, when she did, it was only to reveal her teary eyed face. "It's so not fair, Ichigo. Why did it have to happen?"

Ichigo wondered that too. Why could evil people keep on living when two of the most amazing people on Earth had had to go? First, it had been his mother due to an accident. Now it was Hisana's turn. After battling a disease for years, she had finally passed away exactly the day before. The worst part was that she had hidden it from Rukia until roughly six months earlier, when things had taken a turn for the worse. He knew what his friend had been thinking. If only she had known earlier, she would have cherished more the time they had had left. She would have come back home earlier. She would have behaved better. She wouldn't have let a day go by without telling her sister she loved her. Ichigo knew because he had been through that before. But no wishing ever made things better. Those what-ifs did nothing but tear you apart. He didn't want that for her.

"First my parents and now onee-chan." She cried. "Why _her_?"

Why Hisana, indeed. She should have been given enough time to watch her sister grow. She should've had the time to grow old with her husband. To have children with him and watch them grow too. But her very illness had prevented her from ever becoming a mother. And now it prevented her from living any longer, of spending time with her loved ones. Life wasn't fair, it hadn't been fair to Hisana and now it wasn't being fair to Rukia, and god knew both of them deserved better.

"What am I going to do now that I'm all alone?" She said as she sobbed harder.

Ichigo immediately enveloped her in his arms. "You're not alone." He whispered as he brought her closer to his chest. "You have Byakuya." He said. As much as that man was serious and stuck up, Ichigo knew he had loved Hisana with all his heart and that he loved Rukia too. She was his one and only pride. "You have the twins." He said. Yuzu and Karin loved her like a sister. They would make sure to be there for her. "You have my dad." Who loved her like his daughter, as he so affectionately called her. "And you have me." He finished, remembering she had told him the same thing when his own mother had died.

"Promise?" She whispered in a broken voice.

He smiled softly at her, gently rubbing her cheek. "Always." He promised.

Rukia smiled as tears ran down her face and then buried her face in his chest. "Thank you." She whispered.

"That's my line." Ichigo said as he held her.

He knew then, as much as he knows now, that he would never break that promise.

* * *

 _15 years old_

"And then he told him to suck it and kicked his ass. It was awesome!" Rukia yapped animatedly as they walked home from school. Once again, they had been put in exactly the same classroom. That had been ten years in a row. Ichigo should have been tired from her by this point, but he wasn't. It was a miracle since Rukia could be the most annoying person when she wanted, but she was still his best friend.

"You're really into that manga, huh?" He asked her.

"Yep!" She exclaimed. "It has everything, drama, gore, fights and _romance_. You should read it."

"Fine. I'll give it a try."

"Excellent. I can lend you the first fifty volumes."

"Fourteen volumes?! Just how long is it?!"

"It has sixty eight volumes _currently_."

As Rukia went over the details of the manga's serialization, Ichigo analyzed her. Things were different in high school to say the least. First of all, the two of them had now more friends than they had had before. In middle school, Ichigo had met Chad, a Japanese-Mexican boy who had come to their town all the way from Mexico. He had been equally as bullied as Ichigo had been and soon the two of them bonded through their experiences. Since Chad was as good of a fighter as he was, they soon became known as a dangerous duo. Which was a complete misconception for, as Rukia often said, both were dorks. Upon entering high school, he had also befriended two other boys, Keigo and Mizuiro. They were much different than the people he had known before, and they had quickly become friends. Rukia was their friend as well and usually sat with them during lunch. However, for the first time since Rukia had started school, she finally had female friends. Usually other girls were put off due to her strong personality and that she was usually tomboyish, but things had changed. Tatsuki and Inoue were in their class and, through them, Rukia had befriended the other girls in class. Now she sat with them during lunch more than she did with him. It never bothered him until today, that is.

"By the way," Ichigo interrupted her suddenly as they were suddenly standing in front of the river bank. "What happened during lunch?"

"What do you mean?" Rukia had replied instead, trying to keep her voice even although he saw right through her.

"You seemed weird when you came back to the classroom." He answered. "Did they bother you?"

Girls tended to bother Rukia and make fun of her for several reasons. The most popular one in their middle school had been because she, apparently, hadn't gone through puberty yet. Ichigo had been pissed, but she had told him not to meddle. However, if they had a repeat of that, he would sure as hell give them a piece of their mind.

She laughed awkwardly but dismissed him. "What are you talking about? Nothing happened."

"Then why couldn't you look me in the eye for the rest of the day? Why did you ignore me when I called you to show you something today?" He asked again, his tone turning accusatory as he uttered his questions. Rukia was like a puzzle, somedays. He could tell she had been bothered by something, but he just didn't know what it was.

Rukia sighed. "Ichigo… do you think our relationship is weird?" She asked instead.

"What?" He blinked. "What do you mean by weird?"

"It's just… are we too close?" She asked again.

Alright.

This was puzzling.

"Too close? We're best friends! What do you mean by that?" Ichigo just couldn't understand where this was coming from.

"We walk to school and then back home together. We usually partner for projects. We eat lunch together. I go to your house all the time. Your sisters call me 'Rukia-nee.' Nii-sama actually tolerates you and he invites you over for dinner a lot. We hang out during the weekends. Don't you think we give people the wrong impression?"

"Wrong impression? About what? And since when do you care about what people think?" He said, confused as to what she meant to say.

Rukia stopped walking and looked at him with pink cheeks. "Today, the girls asked me if we were dating."

…

His brain tried to process this new information.

…

"Huh?!" He exclaimed, his face becoming as flushed as hers were. "W-where did that come from? What gave them that idea?"

"Us! And the way we act! We're together all the time!" She told him. "All the class thinks we're together!"

Okay.

That did explain some rumors he had been hearing and Keigo's obnoxious questions. Now he knew what 'hooking up with Rukia' meant.

He definitely was going to punch him tomorrow.

"And? Who cares what they think?" Ichigo countered. Sure, he felt embarrassed but that didn't mean he wanted to stop hanging with her. Rukia was his best friend. He wouldn't change that for the world.

"What?! You're not bothered at all?!"

"Did you clarify the misunderstanding?"

"Yeah, I told them we aren't dating."

"Then there's no problem, is it? They know. And most importantly, we know what our relationship means. It has got nothing to do with other people. Just you and me."

Rukia mulled over his words and then frowned. "But… if other people think we're together, doesn't that risk your chances of dating other girls?"

Ichigo sighed and then gently flickered her forehead with his fist. "Idiot. As if I cared about such a thing."

"So you don't want to date anyone?" She asked, genuinely surprised.

He scoffed. "Of course not. Who do you take me for? Keigo or my crazy old man? Don't make me laugh. I'm not a pervert."

"But what about Inoue? Don't you like her?"

That made him almost trip. "Hell no! Whatever gave you that idea?"

She laughed. "She was a crush on you~" She basically sang.

"That's got nothing to do with me." He declared. "Why are you bothered anyway? Do you wanna date boys? Is that it?"

Rukia glared at him. "Fool. As if I was interested in something like that."

"Yeah, you're right. Byakuya would murder any boy who got close to you anyway." Ichigo said matter-of-factly.

"He's not that bad, and you know it. The fact you're alive is proof enough!"

"Yeah, but only 'cause I'm not a pervert. Can't say the same for the other guys."

She hummed unconvinced. "Well, since you don't have a problem with it, we can still hang out, right?" She asked unsure.

He sighed dramatically and grabbed her wrist. "What am I going to do with you?" He muttered before making her run with him.

"Where are we going?!" Rukia yelled as they sped through the streets.

"If we hurry up, we can still make it before the Don Kanonji show ends!"

"But I thought you hated it!"

"I don't mind watching it with you!"

That made Rukia stare at him as if he had suddenly grown two heads.

"What?"

She laughed gleefully and then smiled at him. "Nothing."

That afternoon, as they munched on chips and Ichigo complained about the show while Rukia hit him with a pillow, he briefly pondered why the thought of dating her hadn't bothered him at all.

Maybe it was because, deep down, he wished it were true.

* * *

 _17 years old_

Ichigo groaned as he received an earful from Tatsuki.

First of all, he hadn't known Inoue was actually trying to ask him out on a date. He had figured she wanted to be nice and ask him somewhere fun or something as _friends_.

Secondly, since it wasn't a date in his book, it hadn't been awful to invite other people. And what did Rukia going have to do with anything, anyway?

Thirdly, yeah, he had rejected Inoue after all was said and done. But, in his defense, he honestly saw her in the same way he saw Yuzu and Karin. Like a sister. You couldn't make him like her only as to not hurt her. Not returning her feelings wasn't _his_ fault.

"Are you listening to me, Ichigo?!" Tatsuki suddenly yelled.

"Loud and clear. We've already established I'm a worthless human being and I'm lucky Inoue even set her eyes on me. Got it." He answered, sarcasm dripping through ever word.

"That's not what I meant!" His friend exclaimed.

"Then I don't understand why are you here, yelling at me."

Tatsuki sighed and sat down on one of the chairs in the empty room. "There's no possibility of you liking Orihime back, is it?" She asked, voice much softer than he had known Tatsuki to use.

"No." Ichigo answered honestly.

"Is it because of Kuchiki?" She asked, making him frown.

"You keep bringing Rukia up and I don't understand what she's got to do with anything."

She chuckled lightly. "You're still in denial, aren't you? You're worthless. Absolutely worthless."

"Hey!"

"You like her, don't you?"

Ichigo turned red.

"Wh-what?! No! Of course not! She's my friend, just like you!"

Tatsuki laughed. "Even though we're both your childhood friends, you don't see us in the same way. So stop lying to yourself and do something about it."

"Wait! So you're not mad at me anymore?" He asked, not understanding the situation at all.

"I was never mad at you. I was mad at the situation and I'm sorry that I took it out on you. But here's a piece of advice, do something now before you regret it." She said cryptically.

Ichigo scratched the back of his head. "I'm not sure I follow, but I promise I'll try to understand everything."

"Good." Tatsuki nodded. "Now go. Kuchiki's waiting for you." With that, she ushered him out.

Having no idea what had just taken place in that room, Ichigo walked out of school and there, in the yard, was Rukia waiting for him. She looked crestfallen for some reason. He hated that look on her face.

"Hey." He greeted her as he approached her. She jumped, surprised. She clearly hadn't heard him come.

"H-hey." Rukia stuttered. "Ready to go?"

He nodded. "Let's go."

They walked in silence for most of the way. Ichigo didn't feel like talking after the conversation he had just had with Tatsuki. Somehow, he didn't feel any better for rejecting Inoue, and currently his feelings were a mess. All because of the short girl that was walking beside him. Therefore, he was surprised when Rukia suddenly grabbed his sleeve and forced him to stop walking.

"Tatsuki scolded you for rejecting Inoue, didn't she?" She asked out loud.

He grumbled. "Yeah. Kinda like that."

"I'm sorry." She said, looking down at the ground.

Ichigo stared at her, bewildered. "What for?"

"For ruining your date. I wasn't supposed to go, right?" She said in a small, pitiful voice. "Am I ruining your life for being so close to do?"

He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. Holding up a finger he said, "Okay, first, I didn't know that was a date, that's why I started inviting everyone. It's not your fault if you came. It's mine for not reading the mood correctly or whatever." He held up another finger. "Second, you're not ruining my life for being close to you. I like being close to you, and that's never gonna change. So forget whatever weird ideas are going through your head." He held up one last finger. "Third, stop looking so sad."

Rukia sniffed. "Who's sad, you fool?"

He laughed. "That's the Rukia I know."

She instantly buried her face in his chest and he wrapped his arms around her small frame. "You're my best friend and that's never gonna change." He muttered into her ear.

"Promise?" She asked, looking straight into his eyes. Ichigo felt his knees wobbling but he remained standing.

"Always."

They smiled at each other and then walked home. As their fingertips brushed against each other, Ichigo realized Tatsuki certainly had been right.

It was about Rukia.

It was always about Rukia.

 _18 years old_

"Why did you bring me here?" Ichigo asked as he and Rukia sat on the river bank. It was the middle of winter, and even with their coats, it was freezing. They could have easily gone anywhere else, yet here they were.

"'Cause it's our place." She replied simply.

That didn't answer anything.

"So?" He prompted.

Rukia sighed as she sat on the ground. "Can you stop questioning everything and just sit down?"

He rolled his eyes yet sat as he was told. "Alright, alright. There. I'm sitting. So what's up?"

She played with her fingers in the same way she always did when she was nervous. She was also refusing to look him in the eye. It made Ichigo curious as to what exactly she wanted to talk about.

"I passed my university entrance exams." Rukia told him straight to the point.

He felt a grin appearing on his face. "That's great, Rukia! I'm so proud of you!" He said as he hugged her. "But wait… weren't you supposed to get the results in a week?" Rukia had applied for the few universities in Karakura and they all gave results next week. He knew that because he had applied to some as well.

"They're not from here in Karakura." She blurted out.

"Oh." She had definitely not told him she wanted to study anywhere else. "Then where?"

"In Tokyo." Rukia told him, closing her eyes as to prepare herself from his outburst.

"Oh." Outburst that didn't come. Ichigo grew quiet as they both stared at the river in front of them. "Tokyo, huh?" He whispered.

"Nii-sama thought it'd be great if I got an education in Tokyo. They have the best schools and he studied there too!" She frantically explained, eyes wide, as she tried to make him understand.

He sighed and smiled measuredly at her. "I'm not mad. But… are you going there?"

"Yes." Rukia answered without beating around the bush.

"Oh."

"But I'll come here during the holidays and in any chance I get. I promise I'll call you and text you every day and we can still see each other!" Rukia said, taking his hands in hers and squeezing them.

"It's fine. If it's what you want, then I'm happy for you." Ichigo told her, smiling to ease her worries.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really."

Rukia smiled at him and then held his arm, putting her head in the crook of Ichigo's neck. He put his head over hers and took a whiff of her perfume. Rukia always smelt sweet, like vanilla, lilies and strawberries. It was a comforting aroma, one which had accompanied him for the last thirteen years of his life. He couldn't lie to himself or to her. He would miss her. They had been through so much together, both the good and the bad, that he felt as if a piece of his heart was being ripped apart. But, if it was for Rukia's happiness, he would bear that and so much more.

"When do you leave?" Ichigo asked, breaking the calm silence between them.

"A week or so before classes start." She answered.

That was in spring and it currently was winter. There wasn't much time left.

"Then let's spend the time we have left together."

"Yes!"

And so they did. They hung around every day. From going to school to studying to just going around their favorite places in town. Ichigo was right there when Rukia broke the news to everyone. Isshin cried when he heard. Yuzu made her promise she'd call at least once a week. Karin was visibly upset even though she had tried to hide it. She would never admit it, but she was as attached to Rukia as much as Yuzu and Ichigo were. She was going to miss her. Inoue and the others almost cried too. Well, Keigo _did_ cry. They were all going to college together, and so they would miss Rukia, the only one who was going away. They organized her a going-away party in Ichigo's place. They all had a good time. And soon, time passed by, they graduated and Rukia was ready to leave.

"I guess this is goodbye." Rukia said as they both stood in the station, Byakuya and his family waiting for them a bit farther away.

"It seems like it." Ichigo said in a sadder way than he had intended.

"Hey, but we'll talk every day, right?" She asked hopefully.

"Right." He nodded solemnly.

She smiled at him. "Good. Because I'll want to know everything about your life."

"You too. Don't hide anything from me."

"Never." She said, sticking out her tongue.

Ichigo laughed with her, feeling nostalgia invading him. That would be the last time they would laugh together until summertime. Rukia seemed to have the same mindset, because she started looking down at the floor, not wanting to say goodbye to him. She had said so herself. That telling him she was leaving had been one of the hardest things he had had to do.

"Hey." He said, touching her head. "It'll be fine. Time will pass by sooner than we think, and in the blink of an eye you'll come back."

"Promise nothing will ever change?" Rukia said in a small voice, grabbing his hands.

"Promise." Ichigo told her. "Nothing will change."

"Good." She said as she tried to blink her tears away. He brushed them away and pulled her to him. "I'm gonna miss you."

"Me too." He whispered to her as they hugged.

"Rukia. It's time." A deep voice said from behind them.

They pulled away and Rukia nodded at her older brother.

"Well, then I guess I'm going." She said, unsure.

Many, many times, Ichigo had thought about telling her his true feelings. For a long, long while now, he had known he was in love with her. Try as he might, those feelings hadn't gone away. If anything, they had gotten stronger as time went on. However, he had never counted on Rukia leaving. Tatsuki had warned him before that he shouldn't wait too long to tell her, but he in fact had waited too long. Now, every day that they were together, he had wanted nothing more than to tell her everything he felt for her. But… He hadn't. It wouldn't be fair to her to spring up something like that to her just when she was about to leave. And how would she answer, anyway? It was obvious she didn't feel the same way. That would destroy their relationship.

However, standing there, about to watch her leave for good, it made him want to reach out and hold her forever. To tell her everything. But, when she turned to look at him with those big, violet eyes of hers, Ichigo knew he couldn't do it. It would be for the best that Rukia left with no strings attached. She deserved to enjoy life after everything she had been through.

"Bye, Rukia." He said instead and then she was long.

Still, later that day as he lay in his bed holding Kon, Ichigo couldn't help but think Rukia had looked as if she had been waiting for him to say something, and then had been disappointed when he hadn't said anything.

* * *

 _20 years old_

Promise, his ass.

They had both been liars.

Although Rukia had called him every day when she first got to Tokyo and he had done the same, after the summer was over, their conversations had been increasingly becoming scarce. First, she called him every two or three days. Then, once a week. Currently, Ichigo felt lucky if she called him every three months or so. Okay. He got it. She had gone to a much different place, livelier than Karakura Town, and with more distractions. She had new friends too, different to the ones she had always had. Plus, she still had to study and work on projects. She led a busy life now, which meant that she couldn't even take the time to call a friend. And maybe when Rukia didn't want to come that first year during the winter holidays, he got it because she probably was tired and Byakuya was going there anyway. But the lack of calling spelled trouble to him until he found the reason. Rukia had a boyfriend, and that really shouldn't have stung as much as it did. Ichigo hadn't ever met the guy. He had just seen pictures of him. He looked like the kind of guy Byakuya would never approve in a million years. Long, red hair. Tattoos on his face. He looked like a delinquent and that was saying something coming from someone like Ichigo who had been confused as one all his life.

And, yeah, he had no right to be jealous. He had dated other girls too. First, it had been Senna, a pretty girl he had met at a party one time. They had hit it off right away and Ichigo felt good that he was getting over Rukia. But six months passed by way too quickly, and their relationship fizzled just as fast. He wasn't open enough, caring enough for such a vibrant girl like Senna. And she couldn't compare to Rukia, who only needed to look at him to know what was going through his mind. Then, it had been Riruka, a girl he had met at the bar. She was cute, feminine and had a strong personality. It was everything he liked. However, dating Riruka had been a big mistake as it had been proven to him three months after dating. She was jealous and demanding. Too much for him. So he broke things up with her and, to this day, she glared at him every time they somehow were in the same place.

Rukia hadn't asked about any of them and Ichigo hadn't asked about her current boyfriend either. It seemed to him that there were parts of their lives which they tried to keep hidden from the other. Parties they attended. The people they had met. What they did on their free time. They weren't kids anymore, sure, but Ichigo felt they would both be outraged if they found out all of the less than virtuous things they had done since she went away.

So, he lived his life. He had moved out to an apartment he rented where Chad lived. He had a part-time job now with a free schedule, so he could organize his time. On the mornings, he went to college and studied whenever he could. He went to the gym three days a week. He went out with his friends on Saturdays and he had dinner with his family on Sundays. Once a year, he visited his mother's tomb and left flowers behind. He hoped Masaki would be proud of him. And, every day, he pushed any thought of Rukia away from his mind. She was happy with her new and exciting life, so he was trying to do the same. If they didn't speak for a long time, it really shouldn't matter, even if they had known each other for fifteen years.

Therefore, Ichigo was shocked when he went to his childhood house one night for dinner and found out from his father Rukia was coming home for the winter holidays. She had missed the previous ones, and she hadn't even bothered coming during the summer. He wondered why she had decided to come now. Maybe Byakuya had asked her to. The other question he had was why she hadn't told him she was coming yet. He didn't get an answer to these questions but, a week later, he did receive a text from Rukia.

 _Coming home on the 24. Let's hang out! :D_

It was simple but it was so unlike Rukia it bothered him.

Where was the bunny emoji she always used?

Why was it so impersonal?

Where was the 'hey, idiot' she always used when texting him?

It all made him uneasy. As if things had truly changed even though they had promised they wouldn't. When Byakuya invited him over for dinner, Ichigo had almost refused due to this, but he had been forced to accept when Yuzu had told Byakuya they would all be there. Now, he was walking there, dressed in a blue shirt and jeans. Karin rang the bell and the door immediately opened. Behind it was Rukia, looking different than before. Her hair was shorter, reaching to her neck, and it seemed she had even grown a little bit. However, her smile was as sweet as ever.

"Rukia-chan!" Isshin instantly said and tried to hug her, but Yuzu ran to her first.

"Rukia-nee!" She exclaimed as the two hugged. "We've missed you."

"I've missed you too." She replied.

"It's good to see you, Rukia-nee." Karin said as she approached the older girl.

"You too, Karin." Rukia said as they greeted each other with a pat on the back.

"Rukia-chan!" Isshin cried and then hugged her. "How have you been, third daughter? We hardly see you anymore. Have you forgotten about us?" He said as he clung to her.

"Don't worry, uncle, I haven't forgotten about you." She said.

As his father stopped holding her, his whole family parted so they could greet each other. As Rukia turned to look at him, Ichigo felt as if time had stopped.

"Hey." He said, standing in front of her.

"Hi." She said shyer than usual.

"So, you're back."

"Yeah." She smiled.

Ichigo was about to say something else when they were interrupted.

"Rukia! Where are you?" The voice said. It belonged to a man and it was unfamiliar to them.

"In here!" She said, turning around.

Footsteps could be heard and, then, a red-haired man stood in the doorway, next to Rukia.

"Everyone, this is Renji, my boyfriend." She introduced them. "Renji, this is the Kurosaki family."

"Rukia's told me a lot about all of you." The man said. Funny, they hadn't heard anything about him.

"Nice to meet you." Isshin was the first to recover from the shock. He reached out and shook his hand. "I'm Kurosaki Isshin, and these are my daughters, Yuzu and Karin."

"Pleasure to meet you." Yuzu said sweetly.

"'Sup." Karin simply said, shrugging.

"And this is─"

"I'm Ichigo." He said, interrupting his father and standing as straight as he could, mildly flexing his arms. He had filled out since he started to go religiously to the gym.

"I've heard all about you." Renji told him as they shook their hands.

"Let's go inside." Rukia said as Ichigo narrowed his eyes at the newcomer.

All of them went inside, each silent due to very different reasons. In the living room, Kuchiki Byakuya waited for them. He greeted them as always and led them to the dining room, where they were served a delicious food. Or that was what Ichigo thought. In reality, he couldn't taste anything. He felt his blood boiling. As they ate, Rukia told them all about college life, with Renji adding things here and there. Ichigo didn't hear any of them. Was this jealousy? Or was this just about your supposed best friend hiding things form you? Because, he hadn't heard a thing about Renji. Not even a peep. If he knew what he looked like was only through social media. Rukia never had spoken about him to Ichigo. And now what was this about bringing the guy home to meet his family? What was the use of that? And the guy speaking with such familiarity to them as if he wasn't the outsider made him angrier.

After dinner was over, Rukia suddenly approached him and told him to go back outside. Ichigo didn't know why he had accepted so easily, but he had and now they were walking around the streets.

"So…" Rukia started saying as she played with a few pebbles on the floor.

"So?" He questioned, not knowing what she wanted to talk about.

"What do you think about Renji?"

Oh.

So she wanted his opinion now.

Ichigo shrugged. "He seems nice."

"Just nice?" She questioned.

"Yeah. I mean, I just met him."

"But you surely have an idea about him by now, right?"

He sighed in frustration, both at her and at himself. "What do you want me to say? I don't really know him."

She pursed her lips. "You always have opinions about everyone."

"Well, maybe now I've decided to not judge people before I know them." He retorted, hitting a pebble with more force than necessary.

Rukia hummed, clearly not believing him.

"But he clearly knows all about me." Ichigo spat before he could stop himself.

"What?" She said, stopping dead on her tracks and glaring at his back.

"He knew all about me, but I sure as hell didn't hear about him until tonight." He said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked him as she ran towards him.

" _You_ tell me." He replied.

Well, would you look at that.

They had reached the river bank already.

Rukia frowned at him. "You never told me about your girlfriends either."

"Doesn't matter. I never brought them to meet you." Ichigo told her.

"Why not? I didn't ask you not to."

"For starters, you barely come anymore." He complained. "And they weren't serious relationships to begin with. But, if they had been, I would've told you. Because you're my best friend. Or at least that's what _I_ thought."

"I _am_ your best friend!" Rukia exclaimed, moving to stand in front of him.

"Really? 'Cause evidence shows the opposite." He said, balling his fists. "You don't call me as much as you used to. You don't text me. And you hide things from me. What am I supposed to think?"

"You do that too! You could call me too, you know, but you don't. And you hide things from me too! Did you think I wouldn't find out you got a girlfriend right after you started college?"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes at her. "It wasn't right after classes started. And I don't see what the problem is. I didn't mean to hide it from you. I just didn't know where it was going. You didn't tell me about Renji either, so you have no right to complain about it."

"Because _you_ started it."

"I didn't start anything! Maybe I felt as if I didn't want to bother you when you were busy."

"I'm never busy for you." Rukia said honestly, but Ichigo was too mad to see that.

"Oh, really? Then why don't we speak regularly anymore? Why don't you come here more often? You know I can't go to you 'cause I've got to pay my own rent and food. What's your excuse? And it's not just about me. You don't talk to Inoue anymore or your other friends. You hardly see Byakuya. You don't even come on your sister's anniversary. Is life in Tokyo really more important than the people here?"

"Stop it!" She shouted, covering her ears. "You've got no idea about anything, Ichigo!"

"Then enlighten me, Rukia!" He yelled too. "Why does it feel as if you want to push me away? Do you really prefer that baboon?"

"Don't insult him!" She screamed. Then, she sniffed. "You promised me things wouldn't change!"

"Well, you promised to always be there for me too. Guess the only thing we're good at right now is breaking promises."

Rukia flinched at his tone of voice but then glared at him. She looked at him in the same way she looked at the people who bullied her in school. "Fine. If you want to be difficult, be difficult." She hissed and then left him behind.

Angry, Ichigo turned away, not even wanting to watch her go again. He grabbed a rock from the grass and threw it to the river with all his might as he yelled in frustration.

It was funny.

That was the first time one of them had left that river bank without making up.

It felt as if they weren't friends anymore.

Huh?

Was that rain or snow?

He looked up and felt the cold rain drops falling on him.

 _Of course._

That night, Ichigo went home and grabbed Kon from his closet. He packed it along with other stuff from his youth that he had brought with him into a box. He gave it to his father the following day. Although Isshin had tried to ask him about the events of the night before, he had ignored him.

He didn't know what to feel, so he decided to do what he did best and bottle everything up once more.

It was high time he finally got over Rukia.

Only then, he could be her friend again.

* * *

 _23 years old_

Work had been exhausting that day and, to top it off, it had begun raining as he walked back home.

 _Oh, joy_.

Ichigo hated rain. It had been raining when his mother had passed away, so naturally he had an aversion towards it, which had only increased as the years went by and bad things kept happening on that day. Today wasn't any different except for the fact it was much worse. Today had been a shitty day at work, preceded by many more shitty days. He was genuinely thinking about quitting soon. What stopped him was that he would have no money to pay for rent and food. If he were to quit, he would need to get a new job almost immediately. Then there was the fact he had forgotten his umbrella and his jacket wasn't doing much of a job at keeping him dry. In his defense, who would have thought it'd rain so hard in the middle of fucking October.

As always, his feet brought him to the river bank. It was an unfortunate joke of the universe that his new place was close to the river. Ever since _that_ day, Ichigo hadn't been able to look at it without feeling overwhelmed by many different emotions. He had tried many things to stop feeling that way each time he got but a glimpse of the river. Nothing had worked so far. But, now, it seemed fitting that after a depressing day, he'd have to walk by the place which depressed him during a depressing weather. Honestly, fuck his life. Ichigo wanted nothing more than to throw something. He walked towards the river bank, descended and grabbed a rock. He threw it hard enough to be able to hear the noise it made as it hit the water perfectly, even as the rain poured all over him. He cursed himself for being an idiot and the weather for being so horrible. He threw several more until he grew tired of it. Satisfied, he turned around and found a person staring at him, open mouthed.

Her dark hair plastered to her face due to the rain.

Her pink dress was completely drenched.

She shivered, either from the impression or the cold.

Her eyes were the most remarkable thing. Ichigo couldn't have been able to tell you if they were violet or deep blue, but they were staring at him in such a way that made him want to protect her from everything around her.

Ichigo walked towards her and Rukia gulped when she saw him. Wordlessly, he grabbed her wrist and led her away from that place and the rain. They walked in complete silence until they reached his apartment. Luckily, it happened to be close by. He fished his keys from his pockets, and then opened the door. He went inside and ushered her in, before going to his bedroom and reappearing with a two towels and a shirt. He grabbed Rukia's wrist again and directed her to the bathroom.

"Take a hot shower and change into this." He told her, giving her one of the towels and the shirt. "Put your dirty clothes on the hamper and I'll dry them for you." Rukia nodded and then closed the door.

Ichigo went back to his room and changed into shorts and a shirt. He dried his hair with the other towel and then went to his kitchen to prepare hot chocolate for them. It was what his mother always did when he was sad. Minutes later, Rukia reappeared, wearing his oversized shirt and the towel on her shoulders. He ignored how good she looked in his clothes and gestured to his table.

"Wanna sit down?"

She did as he told her and sat down in front of him. Ichigo passed him the mug and she took it gratefully. They all took sips from the liquid, letting it warm them up. The rain had chilled them to the bone. He hoped neither got sick after this.

"So…" Ichigo started, feeling he needed an explanation for her impromptu appearance. Ever since their fight, they hadn't seen each other or even spoken to each other. Whenever Rukia had come back, he had made himself scarce by traveling to other places or just shutting himself up in his apartment. He hadn't expected to see her at all, much less in October, when she was supposed to be at Tokyo working.

"I…" She stuttered, not knowing what to say. "I'm sorry."

He blinked. "For what?"

Rukia sighed and played with the mug. "Ever since our fight, I've been thinking about it. I regret now everything I said to you that night. I was mad at you because you were right. It's true. I just didn't want to accept it, because by doing it, it'd be accepting some things I wanted to push far away from my mind. But all along you were right. I changed and I broke our promises to each other. I pushed you away first, and I tried to put all the blame on you because I was jealous."

"Wait!" He interrupted her. "Jealous?"

"Yeah." She mumbled.

"But why?" Ichigo asked again, stunned. He hadn't expected that.

Rukia looked at him, violet eyes glassy and afraid. "Because you started dating that girl right away."

He stiffened. "It wasn't right away. It was some good six months after college started."

She looked away, uncomfortable. "Still… I had been gone for less than a year and you had gone and found my replacement."

"She wasn't your replacement!" He denied. "You should know by now there's no replacing you."

Her cheeks turned pink but she still wouldn't look at him. "But… you did with her _everything_ I wanted to do you with you. I wanted to be your first in everything."

Ichigo stared at her with disbelief. Had he heard right? Was Rukia implying what he thought she was? He started chuckling and then he started laughing from the sheer incredulity he was feeling.

"Sure." She mumbled. "Go and laugh about my feelings." She muttered, feeling depressed.

He ignored and stood up, walking around the table until he was facing her. "You're such an idiot, Rukia." He told her as he crouched down, her face only millimeters away from his. "I only asked her out because I was trying to get over you."

Rukia started laughing too, tears falling down her face. He brushed them away. "And I didn't tell you about Renji because I was still mad at you over her. Then, I saw you seemed to be dating another girl, and I stopped trying to call you."

"Ugh. Don't remind me of her." He grumbled, taking the seat next to hers.

"I didn't want you to meet Renji that day. But he insisted on coming here and there wasn't a good reason to tell him not to." She confessed.

"There wasn't?" He questioned.

"Not one I could easily explain, anyway."

They fell silent. Each deep in thought.

"There's just one thing I don't understand." Ichigo suddenly spoke up.

"What's that?" She asked him.

"What are you doing here?"

Rukia took a deep breath and stared at his eyes. "Do you want the real, honest answer?"

"Yes."

"Renji asked me to marry him."

"Oh."

What a way to destroy what was left of his heart!

Ichigo frowned, at a loss of what to say. He couldn't be happy about it, and it didn't even began to explain what she was doing there.

"I said no." She added after he remained quiet.

"Why?" He asked her.

"Would you call me an idiot for still being in love with my best friend even after years of not speaking to him?" Rukia told him.

"No." Ichigo said, shaking his head. Then, he took her small hand in his and laced their fingers together. "I'd call you a fool." He said, using the same word she always used to playfully insult him.

She smiled at him, eyes full of hope. Who was he to even deny what she wanted to hear?

"But I guess I'm a fool too." He said, squeezing her hand. "'Cause I've been in love with the same girl ever since she basically ordered me to get off of the swing when we were five."

She laughed in such a way that reminded him of when they had been children without a care in the world. He soon joined her, laughing his heart out. He reached her and, gently, he rested his forehead against hers.

"Guess we're both fools in love, huh?" Rukia muttered, her lips so close he could almost feel them.

"Guess so." He whispered.

Then, Ichigo leaned forward and finally captured her lips in his. Rukia responded to the kiss just as passionately. Her hands grasped his hair, as he pulled her to his lap, grabbing her hips to keep her in place. He licked her lips until she opened her mouth. His tongue trailed inside the crevices of her mouth, committing to memory the way she tasted, the way she felt against him. Her breasts pressed against his chest. Her arms around his neck. Her legs straddling him. Her lips moving against his.

They broke from the kiss to just look at each other. Rukia grinned first and he couldn't help but beamed at her.

" _Wow_." She mumbled.

"Yeah, wow." He imitated her.

"To think we could've enjoyed that for years if we hadn't been such idiots." She exclaimed.

"First of all, we had already established we were fools. Secondly, we can make up for lost time." Ichigo said, holding up his fingers to make his points. Next, he stood up, making sure her legs wrapped around his waist. He easily carried Rukia to his bedroom as she giggled all the way.

And then,

They certainly made up for lost time.

* * *

 _25 years old_

Ichigo didn't know exactly what had led him to where he was. He just knew he was unbelievably lucky as he stood there, on the park, waiting for his life to change forever. Chad stood next to him, his father was already crying from where he sat on the bench. Karin gave him a thumbs up as Yuzu gave him a watery smile. His friends all looked animatedly. But, as the music started, all coherent thought was thrown out of the window.

Twenty years ago, Ichigo had come to this very park after having what he thought was the worst day of his life. Today, he was having the best day of his life. And all because of her. The headstrong girl with pigtails and a pink dress who made his day better by giving him a stuffed lion. The girl who would become his best friend. The girl who never thought twice about defending him when the older kids bullied him. The girl who made him laugh when all he wanted to do was cry. The girl with whom he had shared so many things they would be impossible to count. The girl who lit up his entire life just by smiling. The girl he loved more than anyone else. And the girl who was about to become his wife.

"Hey." Ichigo said once Rukia was standing in front of him. She looked stunning in her wedding dress. She was definitely the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"Hi." She said shyly, her cheeks turning red from the intensity of his gaze.

The minister cleared his throat as he begun the ceremony, but Ichigo couldn't focus on anything except his soon-to-be wife. He held her hand as the minister spoke, stealing glances at her each time he could. Rukia would probably scold him later for not paying attention, but he couldn't care less. It was her and him surrounded by all of their loved ones. But he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. This was a dream come true. The moment he had waited for his whole life.

"You may kiss the bride." The minister announced and Ichigo instantly leaned down and captured her lips with his. Her hands grabbed his suit to keep herself upright. All of their guests cheered as they pulled apart, grinning at each other.

Later, they would escape their own wedding reception to stroll around the river bank. Their hands were entwined as they moved, exploring the place they knew so well. Rukia was still wearing her white gown, and he was wearing his suit, but neither cared as they sat down. Ichigo put his arms around her, pulling her close to his chest.

"It's finally you and me." He said as he kissed her temple.

Rukia grinned at him. "Well… it's _not_ just you and me." She said, taking his hands in hers and putting them on top of her belly.

"You mean you…" Ichigo mumbled like an idiot.

"Yep." She said, smiling happily at him.

He cheered and then kissed her deeply. Rukia returned the kiss gladly, caressing his tresses.

Twenty years ago, Ichigo hadn't wanted to go to the park.

Twenty years later, he was glad he had gone after all.

* * *

 **A/N:** So sorry that I didn't edit half of this. I just wanted to upload it as soon as possible, lol.

Anyway, the part when they're mad at each other because they didn't tell the other they were dating someone was taken from my personal life. The childhood friend I mentioned above got mad at me when I didn't tell him right away I had a boyfriend in college. Like Ichigo and Rukia here, he had left to another place and we only saw each oother like once a year, and even though we used to talk daily through texts, we just stopped. Of course I couldn't tell him that the reason I didn't say anything to him was because I had just gotten over him and was trying to enjoy dating life. Years later, he got a gilfriend and they've been so steady that they're already planning to get married. He didn't tell me either. I had to find out through social media and I got mad too lol. But, anyway, that was a funny tidbit. Hope you enjoy it.


	38. Connected

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** Hey, guys! So, I really did intend to write this one-shot yesterday, but I was too depressed to write anything. After having a good cry, and getting things into a new perspective, today I was ready to finish it. Anyway, it's short as I had told you before. The good news is that it got finished today. Sorry for any mistakes in advance. Well, today we're embarking on the "long-distance relationship" prompt. I decided to locate this story on my alternate Bleach timeline. For anyone wondering, at the end of the story I wrote in detail when all the one-shots are located in time. If you don't remember the details, you can always revisit them. They're not in order, by the way. In any case, this one is set directly after the events of "Not Over Yet." If you don't remember, it was a one-shot I wrote last year for IR Month about basically Ichigo confessing just before Rukia marries Renji, and she breaking things up with him because she loved Ichigo all along. It's essentially a big fuck you to the novel about the renruki wedding. Well, this is the direct aftermath which was alluded in the one-shot "More Than Fate." Again, you don't need to re-read anything, only if you want.

Thank you again for your support! We're over 250 reviews now. You guys rock! Thank you for all your kind words! I'm also happy last story was received so well!

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **Maiko:** You were totally right with the song, lol. Ironically, it was Ichigo who went bald instead of Tasuku. And nobody understands Kubo. I guess only he knows the answers. I hope to get an explanation one day. If not, at least we still have so much material. I just knew everyone was gonna hate that I added Renji, Senna and Riruka, but what can I say? I love drama. And they were just obstacles so that they would end up together. Don't worry, in this universe and all the rest, they have the same kids. I will write soon about their kids. I do talk to him on his birthday, my birthday, Christmas or any other event. But it's a stark difference to ten years ago, when we talked all the time. Sitll, we weren't like Ichigo and Rukia in this situation. So, well, it's sad but not that sad. Thank you for your review! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

 **Bleach power:** Thank you! They were definitely cute children, that's for sure. I'm glad you liked it. Yep. Twenty years of friendship, and twenty years of them loving each other.

* * *

Connected

 **Prompt:** long-distance relationships

 **Summary:** Ichigo and Rukia deal with being separated after finally getting together.

* * *

Ichigo could hardly believe that that which he had wished for had actually come true. He and Rukia had been dating for a month already ─ although not in the best of circumstances. He still felt bad that, in a way, he had crashed her wedding to Renji. Ichigo never meant to hurt him. However, he couldn't say he regretted it. He loved Rukia with all his heart, and it turned out she also loved him as much. Marrying Renji would have been a big mistake. And, who knows, maybe he would have made a similar mistake, dating someone he didn't even like. His decision to talk to her before the wedding had been a blessing in disguise. Rukia hadn't gotten married and both had run away to Karakura. There, they had spent four _amazing_ weeks together. Ichigo had been on vacation from college, so they had spent all that time together. They went to the movies, they took long walks in the park, they watched the fireworks together, they ate dinner with his family, they read her favorite horror manga together, Ichigo made dinner for her once and they had a picnic on the river bank. Sometimes, they went Hollow hunting together and it was like in the good old days. Other times, they didn't do anything special. They hung out in his room, talking about nothing and everything. Their future goals. Their dreams. Their motivations. Their feelings.

"I want to be a full-time Shinigami." Ichigo had expressed one day as they both lay on his bed.

Rukia hadn't even been surprised. She merely smiled at him. "Then become one."

"You won't tell me it's dangerous or that I'm wasting my life?"

"I'm tired of giving you that excuse. It's your life. Choose what will make you happy. I'll support you, _always_." She told him, looking at him straight in the eye. "And, besides, you've already been through many dangerous situations." She joked.

Ichigo smirked. "Like defeating the whole Soul Society for you."

She snorted and hit him with a pillow. "Fool."

There were moments when they didn't talk at all. When they were alone, their lips would join together and they would kiss, tongues exploring the unknown, hands wandering underneath their clothes. They felt closer than ever before. As if they should have been doing that from the beginning. It was definitely bliss.

But… all dreams must end.

This was a vacation after all. A break from their normal lives. After summer was over, Ichigo would have to go back to classes and Rukia would have to go back to her squad. She was the lieutenant, in charge of her whole squad now that Ukitake was gone. Kiyone and Sentarou would keep things in order, but they still needed their leader.

The end of summer came before either would have wanted, and they stood outside of the Kurosaki Clinic. Rukia was in front of him, looking as unexcited as he was feeling. It was reminiscent of another time they had said goodbye. Although, this time they could still see each other eventually. That wasn't as reassuring as it should have been. Ichigo would have given anything to remain by her side.

"I'll call you when I'm settled." Rukia told him, the Senkaimon already opened behind her.

"I hope Byakuya isn't too mad about it." He replied, scratching the back of his head. He definitely didn't want to face the older man's rage.

She chuckled. "I don't think so. Nii-sama was the one to encourage me to tell you the truth."

"And I'll never understand why he did that, but I'm forever grateful for it."

Rukia smiled at him. "Glad you two are finally getting along."

"Ah."

They went silent, each staring at the other, trying to memorize the way they looked in that moment.

"So I guess I need to go." She eventually said.

"Seems like it."

"Don't be so sad. I'll be back when you least expect it." Rukia said, elbowing his ribs.

Ichigo scowled. "Yeah, that could be several months from now."

She sighed and then buried her head in his chest. He immediately wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. "I promise it won't be like last time. I'll make time and come in less than two months. We'll also be able to talk through the phone."

He nodded. "I'll try and visit often too. Even if it's only for a day."

Rukia stood on her toes and pecked his cheek, making him turn red. "I'd like that."

"Great."

They kissed one last time, neither wanting to let go. But they had to pull apart just in case someone walked in to find Ichigo speaking to air. He didn't need the fame of being crazy. He had enough by being mistaken for a hooligan.

"Bye, Ichigo."

"See ya!"

And with that, she was gone.

* * *

Two months went by equally fast as they were slow. Each day was torture for Ichigo. He couldn't focus in class. He got nostalgic each time he passed by a place that reminded him of Rukia, the river bank, his high school, the park, hell, even his own closet! It didn't help that his friends and family asked about her often. And sure, Rukia called him almost every day, but that only made him miss her more. It would have been better if he could have visited her. However, she was extremely busy, and he had been too in a way, with classes and whatnot.

"And then Kiyone and Sentarou fought in the middle of a drill. I had to scold them, though deep down I was dying with laughter." She told him that day during one of her calls.

Ichigo laughed with her. "Wish I had seen it."

"Wish you had been there." Rukia said, her eyes softening.

He exhaled shakily. "Me too."

They grew quiet. Tension palpable in the air. He missed her. He missed her so damn much it was painful.

"When are you coming back?" Ichigo blurted out.

His girlfriend ─ God, he still couldn't believe it! ─ frowned. "I don't know yet. There's been a lot of changes here. We're still recovering from the war. And my squad's in bad shape. If Ukitake-taichou were here, it would've been different." She trailed off, eyes downcast. "And then there's the fact I still can't escape the rumors."

Ichigo winced. "Is it still a problem?"

"Not around the Shinigami. The nobles on the other hand…"

"My dad called Kukkaku-san for help. But she said she doesn't have much importance currently. Yoruichi-san asked her brother for help, though." He explained.

"Nii-sama's been doing what he can to. But this one's on me. I've been doing what I can to explain the situation. I hope one day I'll be free of judgement."

The nobles, especially the ones from the Kuchiki Clan, hadn't been too happy when Rukia had called off the wedding only to run away with him. All kinds of rumors had sprung from that decision. That she had been cheating on Renji the whole time. That Kurosaki Ichigo, the hero of Soul Society, had crashed the wedding and stole the bride. That the two had eloped to marry in secret. That Rukia was pregnant with his child and that's why she hadn't been able to marry Renji. They called her all kinds of things. Slut. Cheater. Whore. Ichigo wanted to give them all a piece of their mind, but Rukia had convinced him against that. Although being away for a month had helped in springing more rumors, it had given Byakuya the time to explain to the clan what had actually happened. The support of other nobles had been needed as well. But, still, things hadn't changed much. Ichigo now knew how much Rukia had suffered when she had been adopted to the clan. Decades of solitude. She had just recovered from that and become her best self, and now she had to deal with this. He felt partially guilty for that. If only he had been man enough, they would have started dating right after the war with the quincies was over.

"Ichigo." She called him, making him ignore all the self-deprecating thoughts that swirled his mind.

"Yeah?"

"None of this is your fault." She said, voice filled with many emotions.

He sighed. "I just wish I was there to help you out."

"Me too." Rukia said. "But maybe it's better this way."

Ichigo grumbled. "I don't care if it's better. I just want to be there for you."

She smiled sweetly at him. "And that's why I chose you."

He felt his heart rate increase as his cheeks turned red. "Sh-shut up."

"And you're cute to boot." Rukia added, a teasing smile replacing the previous sweet one. "It's really cute how you blush as if you were still fifteen. How old are you again?"

"You're one to talk. You get red when I mention _everything_ I want to do to you."

It was Rukia's turn to become flustered. "Don't say such indecent things over the phone!"

He merely laughed. "You didn't say that last night."

She coughed. "In any case, I'll come back as soon as I can. I'll let you know beforehand."

"Don't worry. I'll wait for you."

They smiled at each other and, wishing them a goodnight, they hung up.

Ichigo collapsed on his bed, a stupid grin plastered on his face. Definitely the highlight of his day was talking to Rukia.

* * *

Rukia sighed as she finished more paperwork. Life had been hectic since she had come back to the Soul Society. Everybody whispered when she passed them by. People pointed fingers at her. She knew what they said. (There goes the girl who left her groom at the altar. The same one that eloped with the Substitute Shinigami. I heard she's pregnant. I heard she cheated on her fiancé. I bet she wanted them both to herself. Cheater. Whore.) It was a pain to deal with it daily. It would have been much easier if Ichigo were there. He would have punched anyone who dared disrespect her. The thought made her smile. On the other hand, Rukia was happy he wasn't around to hear that. She wanted him to live a more carefree life. She missed him, though. She missed him more now than ever before. It was as if a part of her only felt alive when Ichigo was near.

She had intended to go to Karakura soon, but two months had gone by and she was still stuck in Soul Society. There was a lot of paperwork to finish. Meetings to attend. Issues to oversee at the barracks. And Rukia had been aware this life wouldn't be easy. That had been the reason she had tried to push her feelings away and almost made the worst mistake of her life. She had shared as much with her now boyfriend. But Ichigo was nothing less of brave. He hadn't given a damn about that things that would try to keep them apart. He knew they would be able to overcome anything. That was how strong his will was. One of the traits she admired most about him. He was that kind of man in her heart. This pain and loneliness was worth it if, at the end, she got to be with him. So, Rukia decided to endure everything with a smile on her face until she could see Ichigo face to face again. It wasn't as if they didn't speak on the phone often enough. They were connected through those electronic waves. (She really needed to ask Urahara about that technology and how that even worked.)

Someone knocked at the door.

"May I come in?"

"Ise-fukutaichou." Rukia acknowledged the newcomer. "Please, come on in."

The lieutenant of the first squad entered her small office. They greeted each other as they normally did and Nanao sat down in front of her.

"I'll cut straight to the point." The woman said. "The Captain Commander wants to see you."

Rukia nodded, dumbfounded.

Although she was a lieutenant, and she had been one for some time now, it wasn't often that Kyouraku wanted to speak with her. In fact, they had only spoken once or twice in the two years that had passed since he became the new captain commander. Most of their conversations had been about the late Ukitake and their shared memories of him. If there were problems in her squad, Rukia submitted her issues with a written form and received one in return. It was a very bureaucratic process. Only the captains of each squad had direct communication with him. But, she figured, that since her squad lacked a captain, maybe certain things needed to be informed to her directly.

Rukia arrived at the first squad, following Nanao. The other Shinigami greeted her as she entered the barracks. She soon passed many rooms until she arrived at Kyouraku's office. Nanao knocked the door and announced Rukia's arrival.

"Ah, Nanao-chan! Let Rukia-chan come in!" He said, addressing them as informally as ever.

The lieutenant rolled her eyes in exasperation what Rukia muffled a laugh. Waving goodbye to Nanao, she entered the room and was warmly greeted by the Captain Commander.

"Come on, Rukia-chan, take a seat." He told her, ushering her in.

She did as she was told and sat down in front of him. Kyouraku served her tea and the two sipped on it calmly. Rukia was curious as to why she was even there.

"How was the world of the living?" He asked her suddenly. "Is that little town as lively as ever?"

She nodded. "It's the same as always. Although the Hollow activity seems more controlled now."

"Good, good." The commander muttered. "And how's our dear Ichigo-kun? As sturdy as ever, I hope?"

Rukia blushed slightly at the mention of her boyfriend. "Yes. He's been doing fine."

"How does he like it being a Shinigami still?" Kyouraku kept asking. "Is he in good shape? He hasn't had any problems with his powers?"

She shook her head. "He's still as powerful as before, though more in control with his powers."

He smiled. "And, say Rukia-chan, do you think he's gonna come soon?"

"Pardon?" Rukia asked.

The older man chuckled. "Well, I know about his ambitions and waiting for his death sounds like an awfully long affair. Now that he has a good reason for coming here," he said as he gestured to Rukia, "maybe he'll like to speak to me about his future?"

She blinked once and then smiled in relief. Ichigo had told her early on that he wanted to become a full-time Shinigami. She hadn't even bothered telling him what that would entail. He wasn't an idiot. He knew exactly what that meant. Leaving his family back home. Not enjoying a human life. Going on life and death missions. Getting his hands dirty for the sake of others. But, Rukia found out, living a normal life wasn't for someone like Ichigo. Being human was like being death for him. It had been in death itself where he had found the place he belong. It was a plus that that side was beside her.

"I think so. Yes." Rukia replied quickly, feeling ecstatic about the prospect of Ichigo's future life.

"In that case, why don't you go and tell him yourself?"

"Sorry?" She asked, once again perplexed.

"Take a few days off. Got to Karakura. Spend some time with Ichigo-kun. And then, you can both come here and I can talk with him. How does that sound?" Kyouraku asked her kindly. His tone of voice sort of reminded her of her late captain.

"It sounds perfect, sir." Rukia nodded, already smiling.

"Then get going. I got your squad covered."

Rukia nodded, bowed once, left the room, and began running once she was out. She ignored Nanao calling out to her. She ignored everything and everyone around her. Without a second thought, she opened the Senkaimon. She ran all the way until she saw the exit. She jumped and, there, she was back in Karakura. She broke into a sprint and, leaping through the roofs, she soon found her way to the Kurosaki house. Rukia knew that she had to go to Urahara's to get a gigai, but right now, she couldn't care less about such eventualities. She simply climbed to Ichigo's window and went through it, landing on his bed.

"Rukia?!" Ichigo exclaimed from his desk.

"Hi." She said, approaching him and landing on his lap. He instantly wrapped his arms around her, but she could see he was still shocked.

"W-what are you doing here?" He stammered.

Rukia laughed. "What, do you want me to leave?"

"No!" Ichigo said quickly. "I was just wondering. You said you'd tell me in advance if you could come here."

"Well, there's been a change of plans. The Captain Commander gave me a few days off, and I immediately came here after he told me that." She explained, feeling comfortable against his chest.

"What? Just like that?"

"Yep."

"Huh… what's the occasion?"

"Oh, nothing important." Rukia said jokingly. "He just wants to talk to you about your future."

"My future?" He asked confused.

"Ichigo… he wants you to become a full-time Shinigami."

"Really?!" He exclaimed, a grin on his face. She nodded. "When should I go talk to him?"

"In a few days." She answered. "Right now, we should enjoy our time together." Rukia said, getting cozy in his arms, face getting close to his.

"Oh?" Ichigo asked. "You haven't been here for five minutes and you're already thinking about that."

"Shut up and kiss me."

He didn't even need to be told twice.

They kissed passionately, pouring into the exchange everything they had been feeling.

Although their bond could take anything and be as strong as ever, the feeling of being finally next to each other was overpowering enough.

It was good, then, that they wouldn't have to be apart any longer.

Ichigo and Rukia would both finally be together, after so many years.

They couldn't wait for what the future had in store for them.

* * *

 **A/N:** If anyone wants to know, here's the chronological order for my alternate Bleach lifetime:

1\. "The Six of Hearts"─ takes place in the final battle, replacing the canon one.

2\. "Not Over Yet"─ 2 years after the battle, replaces the novel.

3\. "Connected" ─ the beginning is set a month after #2. The events last around three months.

4\. "Warm By the Beach" ─ 6 years after the battle, 4 years after Ichigo and Rukia started dating.

5\. "More Than Fate" ─ 8 years after the battle, 6 years after they started dating.

6\. "I'll Spend The Rest of My Life" ─ 8 years after the battle, 6 years after they started dating, a couple of months after #5.

7\. "I Call Your Name" ─ exactly two months after #6.

8\. "Death & Strawberry" ─ 10 years after the battle, 8 years after they started dating, 2 years after they got married. Replaces the last chapter in the manga.

9\. The ending of "What I Want Most" ─ 14 years after the battle, 12 years after they started dating, 5 years after they got married. Their kids are five and tow and a half, respectively.


	39. The Last

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** Hey, guys! I'm back with another short one-shot for you. The reason is that I'm trying to hurry up because this weak I start both work AND classes again. So who knows how much free time I'll have later on. I'm also about to have a dance recital soon, so I've been practicing for that. On a side note, I'll finish all prompts even if I take a whole year. Well, more IR for you, I guess. Anyway, as for today's one-shot is an idea I always wanted to write but for some reason or another I never did until now. It's not as angsty since it's short. It could probably had taken a different turn, but honestly I think this result was for the best.

By the way, I'll upload another prompt today. I had actually written that one days ago and I posted it on Tumblr, but I wanted to put the prompts in this collection in order. Sorry about that, but now you get two one-shots. I'll upload it later today, during the evening, so look forward to that.

As always, thank you for your kind words and all of your support! You guys rock!

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **Maiko:** Yeah, it's good that we're still friends, though sometimes I wish we could go back in time and be as close as before. I miss his friendship. Ichigo would totally kick their asses if he was there. It's good Rukia just stopped caring about them and now lives her best life. Thank you for the review! Here's more IR for you!

 **Bleach power:** Thank you! Yeah. They struggled through a lot being separated, but at least they're back together.

* * *

The Last

 **Prompt:** misunderstandings/angst

 **Summary:** Ichigo denies he's in love with Rukia one too many times.

* * *

Having a free day was something new to Rukia. There hadn't been a day in which she hadn't had to work in a long time. Naturally, when Captain Ukitake had told her to just relax for a day, she had accepted almost immediately. The Soul Society had gotten into trouble on more than one occasion in such a short amount of time. Rukia didn't know when they would be under attack once more. She needed to take every opportunity she had to just enjoy life. And, as such, the very moment she had been free, she had open the Senkaimon and headed straight to Karakura. It was an obvious choice. That small human town was the only place in which she felt free. It was also the place in which Ichigo lived.

Ichigo.

She missed him. Now that he had gotten his powers back, she could finally go and visit him. Although she had seen him during those seventeen months he was powerless, he hadn't been able to see her. It had greatly pained her then. It still stung that they had missed so much during such a long time. Even for her, who had lived more than one lifetime, it had been hard. Now though, they could do everything they had wanted to do before and more. They could go Hollow hunting like in the past. They could walk around town, and Ichigo could show her all those strange human activities he liked to do. They could eat dinner with his family. They could spend a whole day with their friends. There were so many possibilities out there!

With that in mind, Rukia leaped through the roofs and headed for his school. She knew he was probably there, since it was a Friday morning. She could go there and surprise him. She had even concealed her reiatsu so none of the others could give him a heads-up. Giddy, she made haste and, finally, she reached Karakura High School. Rukia observed the place, noticing it was lunch period due to the amount of students outside of the building. None of them were her friends, though. She closed her eyes and felt the familiar push and pull of their reiatsu. She felt Inoue first. She was nearby, probably eating lunch with her friends under the trees, like they had used to do years ago. Ishida was in the library, probably studying for some test or another. Chad was in the cafeteria, perhaps buying lunch. And, there, on the roof, was the person she had wanted to see the most. Ichigo had gotten better at concealing his reiatsu, and that was why she hadn't been able to find him at first. But now that she had felt him, his spiritual force enveloped her in a warm cocoon and it pulled, pulled, pulled her to him. She leapt.

Rukia landed on the roof and looked at her surroundings. Sure enough, Ichigo was there, sitting and sipping from a juice box. She quietly giggled at the memory of him teaching her how to use a straw. Keigo was also there and the two seemed to be having a deep conversation. She could only see Ichigo's back, but Keigo was gesturing animatedly, a frown marring his usually cheerful features. Curious about their conversation, Rukia walked closer, careful of not making any sound. Eavesdropping was wrong. It wasn't her primary goal either. What she wanted was to surprise him. However, she couldn't help but listen to their conversation.

"I already told you it's not like that." Ichigo grumbled, putting his juice box behind.

"Come on, Ichigo." Keigo said. "I don't buy it."

"Why?" He asked, clearly annoyed at the insistent questioning.

"You were miserable for so long, and then she appeared and you were suddenly happy again!" The teen said. "Tell me that doesn't mean anything!"

"It doesn't. It wasn't only for her." Ichigo denied, crossing his arms.

"I don't believe you." Keigo said honestly. "The rest said you went through a lot to get your powers back. But it wasn't only about being a Shinigami, right?"

Rukia heard Ichigo cursing under his breath. Meanwhile, she had stopped breathing altogether. Were they talking about her? Why? What was going on?

"Don't be so damn nosey." He muttered.

Keigo remained unfazed. "It was always about Rukia-chan, wasn't it?"

Her eyes focused on Ichigo right then.

So they were talking about her, after all. She wasn't an idiot. Rukia noticed the implications in that question. It was a loaded with so many things, it overwhelmed her. But she needed to know Ichigo's answer. It was very important to her. It was important for their relationship. It could turn things upside down or set them in the right course.

It all depended on Ichigo.

"Not at all." He but growled, clenching his teeth.

"So you're saying you've never had feelings for her?" Ever skeptical, Keigo asked now.

Ichigo shook his head.

"So you don't lo─"

"Get it through your thick skull!" Ichigo exclaimed, standing up. "I'm not in love with Rukia and I'll never think of her in that way!"

It was then when things went downhill.

Rukia hadn't meant to, but the loud gasp escaped her lips before she could stop herself. Almost immediately, Ichigo turned around. Their eyes locked. His were filled with confusion and then guilt and then urgency. She ignored them all. Hurt, she turned around and leapt through the rooftops once more. She used shunpo to get away as fast as possible, ignoring the sounds of him calling her name. She ran, ran as far away as possible until she collapsed onto the grass. Funny. She was on the park where she and Ichigo had trained when they had first met. If she looked around, she noticed the path they had taken to walk home. They had hunted a Hollow there too. There wasn't a place that didn't remind her of Ichigo. The whole town was stained by his presence. She should have known that staying there was not a good idea, but she was just too tired and uncaring to stand up and return home.

Rukia started contemplating.

Her whole life had been filled with impossibilities.

The impossibility of reuniting with her birth family.

The impossibility of living a life devoid of worries in Rukongai.

The impossibility of being a prodigy student like Renji.

The impossibility of being accepted thoroughly by the Kuchiki Clan.

The impossibility of being more to Kaien-dono than a member of his squad.

However, no other impossibility hurt as much as this one.

She should've known.

She actually knew it from the start but had dared to hope.

Rukia had realized she had become too attached to Ichigo right when they had first met. In a few weeks it felt as if they had known each other for several years. Their bond kept growing and growing through the years. It was like finding a kindred spirit. Someone who understood you without needing words. It was trust. More than the trust of a comrade. The trust of a close friend. It was shared pain. Shared dreams. Shared hopes. It was duty. The duty to protect. It wasn't about repaying debts. It was about wanting the other to be happy. It was about love.

Or at least it had been to her.

She remembered the first times people had asked her about it. Their classmates at school, who believed they were in a relationship. The other girls, asking her if she had feelings for him. Her brother, ever perceptive, ever questioning. Renji and his rage. Then it was just curiosity. Captain Ukitake. Her squad. Urahara. All of them prodding and prodding, trying to dissect her feelings. Rukia had denied it each and every time. Things like love and friendship weren't meant for Shinigami like her. Especially not if they were about a human. But, try as she might, she had never successfully pushed them away. Those feelings had grown as time went by, and now were stronger than ever. Not even distance had been able to reduce them.

It was so wrong.

But it felt so right.

It was so easy to love Ichigo.

As easy as breathing.

Although, now even breathing was getting difficult.

Ichigo was young.

He had lived less than a quarter of the years she had been a spirit.

She really shouldn't have expected him to look at her differently.

She was his friend, sure, but he probably had never seen her in a different light.

Ichigo was meant to eventually get together with a human girl. Someone as young as he was, who wouldn't turn his whole life around, who wouldn't endanger him.

Rukia couldn't ask so much of him. But she still had wondered and hoped and wanted so much from him. Things he couldn't give to her.

And now she paid the price.

* * *

Rukia didn't know how long she had been there.

Probably a long time.

She had remained in the same position, shedding a few tears as she put some perspective into her life.

She would have to adjust before seeing Ichigo again, and who knew how long that would take. For her own well-being, their relationship would have to shift. They couldn't be as close as they had been before. Don't get her wrong, she would always care about him and be his friend. She just needed time apart from him. Apart from it all. She also felt strangely guilty of how others must have ambushed him with questions. Perhaps, his friends had seen right through her, and were just trying to help her out in a way. Or it was just their general closeness which was problematic.

Things would have to change from then on.

It was when the sun began to set that Ichigo found her.

He was in Shinigami form and seemed to be panting.

Rukia then realized she had never stopped concealing her reiatsu. Even with her inner turmoil, she had kept herself hidden from view.

He probably had been searching for her all over town.

The thought was comforting if painful.

"Rukia!" He yelled, running towards her. She didn't move, too stunned to think coherently. "Are you okay?!" He asked as he stood in front of her. Rukia looked away and he crouched down to her level, his eyes searching answers in hers. "Hey." He said softly as he touched her shoulder. She hadn't meant to, but she flinched at his touch. It burned and scorched. Ichigo pulled his hand away but didn't leave. He sat next to her and remained silent.

"Why are you here?" Rukia croaked out. She didn't want to see him now.

"You know, I hate it when all of you call me an idiot." He replied instead. "But now I'm beginning to understand you're right."

She looked at him questioningly but didn't utter a sound, afraid that whatever spell Ichigo was in would break. He hardly ever spoke about himself. He kept much things hidden away in his heart. In that sense, they were exactly the same.

He sighed and scratched his head. "Look, none of what you heard is true." He told her, staring into her eyes.

"Then why did you say that?" Rukia asked, voice coming out raspy.

"Because I'm an idiot." Ichigo answered. When he noticed she wasn't amused at all, he tried again. "Because they were all being nosey and pushy. I don't like talking about my own feelings, much less to the people who had no business asking about that. The only person that needed to hear it was you."

"Then why did you never tell me anything?" She asked, crossing her arms and refusing to look at him.

"Because I was afraid."

"Afraid of what?" She countered.

Ichigo grabbed her chin and made her look at him. "I was afraid that if I said anything our bond would change. That you wouldn't want to see me again. I couldn't bear it if you did."

Rukia sucked in breath. "Then what is the truth, Ichigo?"

"That I'm in love with you." He said simply. She gasped. "And that is the last time I deny it."

She chuckled despite herself. She let her head fall on his shoulder as she smiled at him. "Good. I don't want any more misunderstandings."

"Does that mean what I think it means?" Ichigo asked her, frown disappearing as a soft smile made its way to his lips.

"Why don't you figure it out?" Rukia said and leaned down to kiss him. Ichigo gladly returned the kiss.

* * *

 **A/N:** I just realized I've made them kiss a lot in this month. Oh, well. I don't hear any of you complaining.


	40. Longing

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** Hey, guys! Sorry for not publishing the next chapter yesterday. I ran late. Also, I wanted this to be a double update, but I'm not sure I'm gonna make it. I'm dead tired because I had a family emergency really early today and I couldn't sleep. I also got a side job just today that I need to work on, and tomorrow's gonna be hella busy with me going back to my job and classes. Adult life is not fun at all. Anyway, I will try to update as much as possible. It's just, there's so much going on right now that I don't know how much I'll be able to write from now on. I hope it's a lot.

As for today's one-shot, some of you probably already read this one on Tumblr. I was very inspired by the prompt. I'm very familiar with feeling longing and since I relate a lot to Ichigo, I made this little "what-if" of Ichigo always having feelings for Rukia. I really liked how this one turned out to be. I only published it until now because I wish all IR Month prompts are in order in this collection.

Thanks again for your support!

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **Bleach power:** Poor Ichigo, saying the wrong things at the wrong time, lol.

* * *

Longing

 **Prompt:** (mutual) pining/slowburn

 **Summary:** The five times Ichigo almost told Rukia he loved her. (And the one time he did).

* * *

 _One_

Ichigo thought he knew what love was.

Love was his father grinning every time he saw his wife approaching him.

Love was his mother returning said grin and leaning in to give her husband a soft kiss on the cheek.

Love was the wistful look his father always got when he looked at the poster he had hung up of his wife after she had long since passed.

Love was Yuzu getting up earlier than everyone, even on the weekends, to prepare breakfast for all of them.

Love was Karin distracting their father when his words upset Ichigo in a way only she could understand.

Love was washing the dishes for Yuzu, playing soccer with Karin, not arguing with Isshin when he was feeling sick.

Love was his mother sacrificing herself so he could live.

That was love.

Or so he thought until he met Rukia.

Kuchiki Rukia was unlike anyone else he had ever met. For one, she was a Shinigami, a spirit who had come into his life, changing it around. Two, she had sacrificed herself for a stranger. She was kind in a way that was only obvious if you noticed her actions. How gentle she got when dealing with spirits. How she didn't hesitate to put herself in danger if only to save others, Three, she had given him that which he wanted the most. Power. The power to protect those he cared about. The power to do something for once. Rukia had trained him a taught him things he would have never known if he hadn't met her.

It was safe to say his entire world had been changed by Rukia.

From living with her, to going to school with her, to training with her, to fighting hollows with her, it seemed as if Ichigo's life revolved around her. And although he complained time and time again, he got used to her faster than he would have liked. He knew exactly how many breaths it took until Rukia would fall asleep at night. He knew how she stuck out her tongue unconsciously when she drew her awful rabbits and bears. He had memorized how many times she would brush her hair before leaving for school (15). He knew how she smelled. How she felt the few times they had touched (she was soft like silk and warm like home). And there were a million things Ichigo could very well relate to Rukia (shojou manga disguised as horror manga, the perfume of night, the moon outside his window, the grass under his feet, yellow pajamas, closets, blankets, gloves, black robes, the hilt of his sword, a gentle caress on his head, pale skin, rosy lips, violet eyes) and another million that were so unlike her, he couldn't help but think about her anyway.

Two months passed by in this way, and it felt as if he had known Rukia all his life. She had wormed her way into his heart, only to never leave. She was like a storm, bringing chaos and then calm. A life without Rukia was unfathomable after all the things they had gone through together. He would have never thought that someone would become so important to him in so little time.

But just as fast as she had come, she had as quickly left.

One day she was there, safe and sound in the privacy of his room, and the next she was being taken away by two Shinigami that were familiar to her, but were the faces of his nightmares.

"If you follow me, I will never forgive you."

Rukia had said before going through that gate which led god knew where and leaving him behind, cold and broken, not only from the rain and from his wounds.

It felt as if a piece of his heart had been ripped from him the moment she kicked his hand away and left.

His eyes followed her form as she walked away, and then she turned to look at him. Her eyes met his, and words bubbled inside Ichigo's throat. He wanted to tell her so many things.

 _Don't go_

 _Don't leave me alone_

 _I'll find a way_

 _Please_

 _Rukia!_

 _I lo─_

But, in the end, he said nothing. The only thing Ichigo could do was to simply lay on the cold ground, tears mixing with the rain, as he hit the ground.

 _I came to protect you, but it was me who received help again!_

In exchange, he realized something important that day.

This was the second worst day of his life.

And

His feelings for Rukia, just as his relationship with her, were far more different to what he had thought at the beginning.

However, he hadn't been able to tell her. And those words would remain unsaid, haunting his dreams for weeks to come.

* * *

 _Two_

Rukia was in front of him.

After all the time that had passed, all the trials he had overcome, Rukia was finally in front of him, safe and sound. It seemed like a miracle, and in many ways it was. Ichigo had had to become stronger in such a limited amount of time just to save her. He had done it. He had fought his way into strange territory, battled stronger foes, and gained his bankai, everything just to save the woman in front of him.

Ichigo took a moment to look at her. _Really_ look at her.

She was wearing a purple yukata, and her hair moved wildly with the wind. Her eyes were the main difference. When they had said goodbye, and the other times he had seen her after, Rukia's eyes had looked dull, lifeless. Now they sparkled, the fire inside her coming to life once more. _His_ Rukia was back. Everything he had done, he had done for her. And every ordeal, every tribulation, all the pain, it had been for her, to be together, enjoying this moment.

His heart beat fast in his chest, and his eyes bore into hers, trying to make her feel the warmth and happiness he felt in that moment.

 _I came here to save you._

 _Yo!_

 _I came here to help you, Rukia!_

All this time, he had made up excuses as to why he wanted to save her so much. The answer had always been on the tip of his tongue, but Ichigo had pushed it away time and time again, to protect himself. Of what, he didn't know yet, nor did it matter. Because now everything was crystal clear. They were standing here and now, together at last. Rukia could finally come home with him, and they could return to how they had been. Even if that was a lie, as it was confirmed by Rukia's next words.

"I've decided to remain here in Soul Society." She proclaimed, a bit uncertain.

Ichigo felt as if the world stopped moving for just a second. The wind blew around her, and her eyes never left his.

He smiled. For her.

"Yeah? Then, I'm glad."

She seemed surprise at first but smiled as he heard his explanation.

Ichigo told her to stay if she wanted to.

Because he had learned that Rukia couldn't be kept away against her will.

She was as free as a butterfly, and needed to be wherever she wanted.

If it wasn't with him, he couldn't trap her and keep her all to himself.

But still, his hand tried to reach her and the words almost spilled from his mouth, but he stopped them before they could.

That didn't matter.

What mattered was that Rukia was happy at last.

 _I remember now… the reason why I wanted to save you so much…_

It was all worth it if she gave him that smile of hers.

* * *

 _Three_

Life was hard.

Ichigo felt as if it shouldn't be this way.

His family was safe.

His friends were safe.

Everything should have been in order.

But it _wasn't_.

There were new enemies now. Stronger than before, or so it felt like. The worst part as that the enemy was himself.

A hollow.

Why was he a hollow?

He had noticed it before. When he was fighting Byakuya. But back then he had ignored it, there were more pressing things at the time to take care of. Back then he had had a will. Now… now not so much.

It didn't make sense. Or, at least, it didn't make sense to the people around him. After finding his purpose, he should have been in his prime to overcome all obstacles in his way. The problem was the person that kept him grounded wasn't around anymore. She had left to where she had come from, and Ichigo felt her absence terribly so. His room. School. The park. The river bank. There was no place in the whole town which didn't remind him of Rukia. He so wanted to go to Soul Society and see her for at least an hour. He knew he could. Urahara-san could take him there if he so asked. But… he _didn't_. It was hard to admit, but he felt scared of disturbing her life, even if he knew that wouldn't be the case. But he couldn't get himself to ask.

He honestly shouldn't have feared.

Ichigo arrived to his classroom and couldn't even react to the appearance of his Shinigami friends until he saw her.

"Rukia…"

"Long time no see, Ichigo."

The wind carried her voice to him, and he gasped in shock at the sight. Rukia was back. In a split second, he was in his spirit form and following her instructions. It was nostalgic. It was perfect for the situation at hand, even if she had led him to a hollow and made him fight it. He felt scared and a bit pathetic to have Rukia watch him being unable to muster enough courage to kill the hollow. He had defeated many of them when he had least experience. But now, all confidence had been drained from his body by his fight with Ulquiorra and Yammy.

His friends had gotten hurt.

He had failed them.

They could have been killed.

And he had a hollow…

Why did he have a hollow?

He should have known that amidst the whirlwind of negative emotion he was feeling, it would be Rukia to give him the strength she needed.

Ichigo was honestly left dumbfounded by the amount of sheer trust she had put on him. She was sure that he would be able to defeat his hollow and all of his enemies. That he would never again be so easily defeated by his inner doubt.

"That's the man you've been in my heart, Ichigo!"

Rukia proclaimed.

No doubt.

No fear.

Nothing at all but trust.

The words seeped into his core and they warmed his heart. All fear vanished and it was replaced by resolved.

Resolve to do better.

Resolve to _be_ better.

Resolve to be the man Rukia thought he was.

If there was one person he would never disappoint, that was Rukia.

And through it all, the words danced, replayed, and screamed into his mind to be finally said. He wanted to say them. To express that which he had bottled up for weeks now. But, deep down, Ichigo knew it wasn't the time yet. There was so much to do, so much to focus on.

So, instead he said, "You're really noise, did you know that?" As he smirked and defeated the hollow. Rukia watched him with a proud smile on her face, as if saying "I told you so."

(However, if he had done that would have been one of his only chances, he would have said the words a million times that day.)

* * *

 _Four_

It felt weird to have a part of him slowly vanish in front of his very eyes.

When he had been a kid, he had been annoyed by the fact he could see spirits. At first, he hadn't been able to distinguish between what was alive and what was dead. Then, he had firmly believed it was this inability which had killed his mother. Ghosts had been a part of his life ever since. They followed him to school. They followed him home. Sometimes he woke up, and there was a spirit staring at him. Wherever he went, there were ghosts. Ichigo had always wondered why he had been born with that ability. What crime had he committed to be punished so severely? The worst part might have been being unable to help them.

Then he had been given the chance to be a Shinigami. He had finally gotten the power to save them from hollows, to lead them to the other world, where they would be safe. He had seen Soul Society with his own eyes and befriended Shinigami and even hollows after that. His life fell into place. He was doing what he had always wanted to do: protecting others. This ability was his fate. He had come to accept it. To cherish it. It was what made him feel alive. Protecting.

But his attempt to keep the whole world safe had come at a price.

Ichigo was losing his powers.

He looked at Rukia, and his eyes widened when he noticed he could barely feel her.

Soon, he would lose the ability to ever see her again.

It was painful.

If there was a person he never wanted to be parted with, it was Rukia.

Rukia, who had changed his world.

Rukia, who had given him the power to protect.

Rukia, who managed to lift his spirits when all he wanted to do was cry.

Rukia, for whom he would gladly die.

Rukia, his best friend, his mentor, his partner.

Rukia, Rukia, Rukia, Rukia.

Why was it that only when she was about to disappear from his life that he understood everything? That he understood the words which had fostered deep in his soul for so long they were screaming to be said at last. He longed to say them at last.

"This is goodbye, Ichigo." Rukia said softly as she stood right beside him.

"Looks like it." He answered with that same tone of voice.

And she had tried to brighten up the mood, by bickering with him like she had done when they had first met.

That seemed as if it was a lifetime ago.

Ichigo gasped as her silhouette started to vanish from his sight. Rukia looked down to the floor, trying to hide her true expression from him. She needn't do that. He already knew what she was feeling for he was feeling it too. Silly, Rukia. Trying to be brave for his sake, when all she wanted to do was break apart. He felt like crying himself, for each second that passed, Rukia grew more and more transparent. The words screamed at him once more. He could say them. It would be his very last chance until the day he died, and who knew when that would be. He could whisper the words to her now, and then he would be able to live his life with no regrets. But, it wouldn't be fair to her. Rukia would have to continue living with a knowledge that would change everything between them. It was better to part ways as they were. Two people whose lives had changed after meeting.

"Give everyone my best." He told her instead.

"Yeah."

But when Rukia lifted her head and finally looked at him with eyes bright with tears and a forlorn expression instead of a smile, Ichigo wanted nothing more than to tell her. And then, in the blink of an eye, she was gone.

"Ja ne, Rukia."

"Arigatou."

* * *

 _Five_

His life as he knew it was over.

Maybe it had truly been over for the past seventeen months, but when Ichigo had gotten the chance to get everything back, he had taken it. The chance to be strong again. The chance to have power again. To be a Shinigami again. To see _her_ again. He felt destiny itself had sent Ginjo to him, and said feeling only increased when the thought of Rukia awakened his fullbring. It _had_ to mean something. It just had to. His life was finally on track. Then all had gone to hell when Ginjo had betrayed him and taken the last ounces of his powers.

His life was truly over.

His friends, except for Ishida, had followed Tsukishima and Ginjo.

Ishida was hurt.

All that he could do was punch the floor and cried.

It was raining too.

Fitting.

His life always tended to end right under the rain.

He must have made such a pathetic sight, screaming and crying, defeated.

He didn't care.

But, there was still a lingering hope inside of him.

Never be said Kurosaki Ichigo went down without a fight.

"Give it back." He muttered. "My power… give it back." He repeated, stronger this time. But Ginjo only taunted him and ignored him.

"You should be thankful that I didn't kill you."

Like hell he'd be.

This life… it _wasn't_ living.

Ichigo might as well had been dead.

"I said, give it back." He said again, trying to stand.

"What else can you do?"

"Who knows." Ichigo answered, already standing. "But I can't give up! Give me my powers back, Ginjo!" He roared, ready to put up a fight, when he felt it… Something was stuck on his chest, and the action made him gasp. Looking down, Ichigo noticed a blade protruding from his chest. Who could have done that?! He turned around, and he saw for the first time Urahara and his own father were standing behind him. When had they arrived? More importantly, why were they betraying him too? "Father… Urahara-san… So it is like this… Were your memories changed too?!" He cried as more tears spilled down his face.

"Idiot." Isshin told him. "That's not me. Look closer and you'll see the one holding the sword. You should be able to see her now."

His eyes widened at the sight.

Of course.

Why had he thought any different?

How many times had she come to him when he was in distress? How many times had she been the light which brightened his day and pulled him out of the shadows?

For all of the times he claimed to be the one protecting, Ichigo had a personal hero.

The one who changed his world.

The one he had missed the most.

Only one name and one name only spilled from his lips as he finally saw the person standing behind him. "Rukia!" He exclaimed, her name tasting like a prayer.

She only smirked at him.

Her hair was shorter.

She was wearing gloves and a lieutenant badge, but for all effects and purposes she was still Rukia.

Those were his last thoughts until a blinding light enveloped him and everything exploded around him. Once the smoke cleared, there he stood. Black robes? Check. Zangetsu? Check. Rukia? Check. He was a Shinigami again, and the happiness he felt for that fact was indescribable. He turned around and locked eyes with Rukia. They were as violet as he remembered.

"Rukia." He said again, getting used to saying her name after so long.

"It's been a long time, Ichigo." She said.

They gazed at each other, and it felt like no time had passed at all. He had gotten taller, and she was a bit different, but they were still Ichigo and Rukia.

The words inside of him threatened to spill from his lips once more. His mind screamed at him to just say it. However, before he could say anything, Rukia spoke again.

"You've gotten more formidable and mature since we last saw each other… NOT!" She said, leaping to round kick him in the face. It felt so nostalgic. So Rukia. Hiding her true feelings by acting tough. God, he was so happy!

"Urahara told me about this guy's Tsukishima's power. He can rewrite the past. It is truly a terrifying power." She started saying. "But, so what?! It doesn't matter how much your past changes, he can't change your future! All lost bonds can be recovered! Am I wrong, Ichigo?!" She exclaimed with that powerful voice of hers.

He smiled warmly. Now or never. "Rukia, can I say something?" He interrupted her. "He changed my past." He said seriously, which pissed her off.

A second interruption, more bickering, and Ichigo simply gave up. He wouldn't be able to say it now. He understood Rukia's actions. It wasn't the time. There was still a battle to be fought, enemies to defeat.

But, as he watched her he promised, one day for sure he would tell her.

* * *

 _Six_

The fight was truly over.

Ichigo sighed in relief and collapsed on the floor.

Yhwach was nowhere to be seen. According to Ishida, he was gone for good thanks to the power-infused arrow he had thrown him. Who would have thought Ishida happened to be the only one able to stop that man? He would have kept contemplating that fact if a voice hadn't called to him.

"Ichigo!"

It was Rukia who called to him.

She was running at a high speed, ignoring everything and everyone else.

Ichigo stood up instantly, eyes following her every move until she was in front of him. She stopped to look at him, taking in every inch of his body, no doubt looking for wounds which weren't there.

"You're alright…" She whispered. "You're really alright…" She said in relief.

"I'm okay, Rukia." He told her.

Her reaction was instantaneous. She crashed onto him, holding him close to her body. Head on his chest, listening to his rapidly increasing heart rate.

"Fool." She cried in his chest.

He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her even closer to him. "I'm alright. A bit beat up, but fine." He said, burying his head into her hair. "Are you alright?"

"I'm alright." She said. "We're both alright."

They both laughed.

"We're both okay." Ichigo said in relief.

Rukia pulled away to look at him, giggling in relief and joy. The war was over. The enemy had been defeated. And, by some miracle, both were alive and well. He grabbed her by her waist and spun her around. "We're okay!" He exclaimed as he spun her around.

She started shrieking, first in astonishment and then she joined in his laughter. Ichigo carefully put her down on the ground, but his arms never left her waist. He needed to touch her, to feel her, to make sure she was real, and this was real, and the nightmares were over. Rukia looked up to him questioningly. It, then, it Ichigo how beautiful she truly was. Her eyes were bright, her cheeks were rosy from laughing, and warmth spread to him. The longing he had felt for years and years rushed to him. The words were once again on the tip of his tongue and everything finally made sense.

Ichigo had thought what love was.

He had seen it in the way his parents had looked at each other.

He had seen it in the way his father got wistful when speaking about his mother.

He had seen it in Yuzu, when she was busy taking care of their family.

He had seen it in Karin, when she had tried to protect them all.

He had seen it in his mother, when Masaki had willingly given her life to protect him.

And he had seen it a thousand times and more when he gazed into Rukia's eyes.

But, it hadn't ever been as clear as in that very moment, when Rukia had left everything behind to make sure he was fine.

"I love you." He told her without embellishments, without beating around the bush. Just three words that meant the world to him whispered in a soft and loving tone. Ichigo marveled at Rukia's expressions. Confusion turned to shock. Shock turned to fear. Fear turned to happiness. And, finally, happiness turned to─

"I love you." She said, her hands holding his torn robes. Her cheeks turned red and she tried to blink away the tears that were forming on her eyes.

He laughed. She laughed. They both laughed and held each other as if the world had never been about to end.

All those years he had kept his feelings in had been worth it, because it finally was the right time.

"I love you so much!"

* * *

 **A/N:** My boy ichigo being so in love. I relate.


	41. A Madness Most Discreet

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** Hey, guys! You were lucky I actually managed to finish this one today! I honestly thought I wouldn't be able to make it! Well, anyway, here it is. This story is one I wanted to write for like the past eight years or so. Back in the day, when Bleach was big and everything, "Ichigo and Rukia reenact Romeo and Juliet for school" was such a used trope. I always wanted to write it, but felt it was too cliché. Welp, I hadn't seen one like that in years, so here it is: my take. I will say this now, I'm a huge Shakespeare fan and I've read _Romeo and Juliet_ several times, both for school and for enjoyment. I've also watched it being performed, and every take in anime. They always change several bits to the play, so I followed suit and changed scenes, but I did include the actual lines. So, if you notice changes, they were all made on purpose. Hope you all like it.

Thank you so much for your support! As always, I cannot begin to express my gratitude towards all of you who take the time to read the story, to review it. If it makes your lives even a bit better, it's enough for me.

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **Maiko:** I left the "love" Kaien part opened to interpretation. I do personally feel she wanted to be close to Kaien but couldn't because he was already married. Rukia compared herself to Miyako. Again. I'm not saying it's strictly romantic. You could take it as her just wanting to have a close friend. And yeah, more kisses are sure to come!

 **Bleach power:** Thank you! Glad you liked it!

* * *

A Madness Most Discreet

 **Prompt:** your choice! – Play

 **Summary:** Ichigo and Rukia have to act as Romeo and Juliet in the school play for the cultural festival.

* * *

 _Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs;_

 _Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes;_

 _Being vexed, a sea nourished with loving tears._

 _What is it else? A madness most discreet,_

 _A choking gall, and a preserving sweet._

* * *

It was a normal day in Karakura Town…

Well, as normal as it could be in a place infested by evil spirits and the death gods tasked to defeat them, as well as a few humans with extraordinary powers. Not that Ochi-sensei gave a damn about those things. Her world was comprised of just a few things: classes, students, grades. The occasional beer, of course. But no semblance of a personal life. Such was the daily life of a teacher. She supposed there were worst jobs out there, but no one else had to deal with teaching ungrateful kids. All teens were bastards in her book, but sadly her homeroom class was filled to the brim with the worst of them. Always missing classes. Never paying attention. Disappearing for lengthy amounts of time only to come back as if nothing had happened. How did all of them even manage to pass classes? That was a mystery in and on itself. But not today! She wouldn't worry about that! There was something important they needed to do today, and she'd be damned if her students once again disregarded her.

"Alright, listen up!" She exclaimed as she walked into her classroom. Her students scrambled to their seats and Misato felt an odd sense of satisfaction when Asano tripped and fell on his face. "We have a lot to do today so you better be quiet!"

"What's going on?"

"What's with sensei today?"

"What does she have such a scary expression on her face?"

"Do you think she's gonna make us take more exams?"

They all muttered and Ochi felt her eyes twitching. No. She wouldn't fall in their games. She was an easy going person, goddamnit! She wouldn't yell. She wouldn't punish them. There were other methods to make them comply. So, as calm as ever, she slammed her notebook on the blackboard, making them all jump.

"Silence!" She yelled. "We have to decide on some things today, so you better shut up!" Scared, they all nodded and shut their traps. Good. "As you know, year after year, Karakura High holds an annual cultural festival. As students, it's your duty to participate in the events. So, today, we need to agree on an activity to hold as a class."

That got them excited.

"What about a maid-café?"

"No, you pervert!"

"Yeah, I want to see my adorable Hime-chan in a tight dress!"

"Shut the hell up, Chizuru!"

"What's a cultural festival?"

"Oi, Rukia, don't say that out loud!"

"What about a restaurant or a café? I want to cook for all of you!"

"NOOOOO!"

Eye finally twitching, Misato slammed the notebook on the blackboard once more. They all instantly shut up. "I see you all have ideas, but we need to decide on something. All of you, write down on a strip of paper what you want to do."

All students grabbed strips of paper and set up to the task. Some, like Asano, already had an idea in mind, and instantly wrote it down. Others, like Kuchiki, had a lot of questions that Ochi couldn't bother answering. A few others, like the likes of Kurosaki, grumbled the whole time. At least they didn't have to deal with rowdy teenagers every single day. She was the only one allowed to complain, thank you very much. Once they were done, they put the strips inside a plastic bowl she had brought. Misato shook it and started pulling strips out.

"Alright, let's see. Maid café." She said as she picked one up.

"Yes!" Asano exclaimed from his seat.

"It's an awful idea so it's gonna be rejected!" Ochi declared, throwing the strip of paper on the garbage can.

"What?! Why?!" Asano kept complaining, but she ignored him.

"Next up, traditional Japanese restaurant." That wasn't bad at all.

One by one, Misato picked up the papers and wrote on the board the ideas, all except the maid café one. Asano and Honshou lamented that but the rest seemed relieved, especially Arisawa and Kurosaki. Finally, it seemed obvious there was but only one winner.

"Alright, the winner is a play!" Most students cheered. Ochi smiled at that. "And we're gonna perform _Romeo and Juliet_ of course!" She added.

"I want to be Juliet!"

"But who's gonna be Romeo?"

"I'll be Romeo if Inoue-san is Juliet!"

"Why are we putting a romantic play anyway?"

The students started muttering and she was going to silence them when Kurosaki raised his hand. She let him talk and his question made her blood boil in anger.

"Why do we have to do the most cliché play ever? There are many other Shakespearian plays more interesting than that. What about _Hamlet_?"

Of course Kurosaki's emo ass would suggest _Hamlet_.

No way in hell.

"Because _Romeo and Juliet_ is my favorite play, that's why." She retorted. "And since you seem familiar with Shakespeare, you get to play Romeo."

"What?! No!" Kurosaki said angrily, while the rest of the students snickered.

Now all she needed was a Juliet.

Ochi scanned the room. Her eyes found Honshou. The teacher shivered. She would be an awful Juliet. Next, they settled on Arisawa. Nah. Too tomboyish. One by one the rest of the girls in the class were discarded for a variety of criteria only important to Misato. Finally, only two girls were left. She looked at Inoue, who seemed hopeful. Although she was as sweet as Juliet, she doubted of her acting skills. Having Kurosaki play Romeo would be a distraction for her. Then she looked at Kuchiki. Hmmm.

"And Kuchiki will be our Juliet!" She announced next.

It became chaos after that. Between some girls being sad for not being Juliet, the boys mad at Kurosaki for getting to act with Kuchiki, and others complaining about her decision of casting those two, there was mayhem in the classroom.

"Why Rukia?" Kurosaki exclaimed, starting to get red.

That was funny.

"Because she's the only one in this whole place who can speak in old Japanese." Ochi answered.

"That's true!" Kuchiki added, smiling cheekily at Kurosaki.

"Oi! Don't be so proud of that!"

"Make me!"

Ochi began laughing.

Oh.

This play was going to be _hilarious_.

She just knew it.

* * *

Ichigo grumbled all the way home. Rukia kept stealing glances at him, but he promptly ignored her. He had been in a bad mood ever since homeroom, and that had been hours ago! Okay, fine. Ichigo wasn't exactly the happiest of individuals and he tended to be moody, but she felt that this was an overreaction. Normally, Rukia could understand him. The things that annoyed him were easy to pick up. She knew because she took every opportunity she got to use them against him. Like Don Kanonji, or living in his closet. Some others were things that annoyed her too. Like Hollows, uncooperative spirits, Kon's idiocy, and more. This time, though, she had no idea what had made him so prissy. Maybe he had a stomachache? The flu? A bad case of angst?

"I don't understand why you're so annoyed." She finally told him.

Ichigo frowned even more. "Because the teacher's insane!"

"Yeah, but, why is a play so bad? I voted for that!" Rukia said, feeling proud of herself. Plays were a thing in the Soul Society too. She had seen a couple with Nii-sama. She couldn't wait to use masks and the like.

"It's not the general idea of the play which is so bad. It's the play the teacher chose!" He exclaimed angrily. "And to cast us in those roles against our will pisses me off more!"

Rukia was still lost.

"Am I supposed to know what the play's even about?"

"Yes!" He answered. "You shouldn't have accepted so easily! What will people think now?"

"What will people think about what?"

Ichigo screamed at that.

She rolled her eyes and elbowed his ribs. "Relax, Ichigo. What could possibly go wrong?"

"A lot of things." He answered cryptically.

His bad mood transcended until dinner.

The twins noticed.

Even his father noticed.

"What's got you in such a por mood, son?" Isshin asked him as they all sat on the table. "Did a cute girl reject you?"

"Shut up. It's nothing like that."

"He's mad about the play we're going to present in class." Rukia answered helpfully.

That caught everyone's attention.

"What play are you going to perform, onii-chan?" Yuzu asked, sweet as ever.

Ichigo muttered something under his breath.

"What was that?" His sister asked with curious eyes.

" _Romeo and Juliet_." He said louder.

His father got a crazy look in his eyes. "Oh? And what characters are you two playing?"

"I'm Juliet and Ichigo's Romeo!" Rukia answered with a smile.

Several things happened in an instant.

Karin started smirking.

Yuzu's eyes went wide and she yelped, cheeks turning red.

Ichigo looked as if she had insulted his whole family tree.

And Isshin…

Oh.

Isshin stood up and ran towards the poster of his late wife. "Masaki! Today's the day our son finally becomes a man, and all thanks to our third daughter!"

"Stop saying such embarrassing things!" Ichigo yelled as he stood up and tried to kick his father on the head.

"But why if it's the truth?! You're finally becoming a man when you and Rukia-chan do─" He said but was silenced by Ichigo's fist on his face.

"Shut the hell up, you crazy goat chin! Nobody's doing _that_!" He exclaimed.

"Now, Ichigo, don't be embarrassed. Just remember to use protection! I don't want to be a granddad yet!"

That gained him a kick to the ribs.

"G-good job, son! As strong as ever!" Isshin answered from the floor.

"What's the big deal about the play?" Rukia asked, feeling lost. She hadn't understood even a bit of that conversation.

"You don't know?" Three pairs of eyes turned to look at him while Ichigo stared at the side, crossing his arms.

"Know what?" She asked in turn.

"Well…" Yuzu started saying, playing with her fingers. "In that play, Romeo and Juliet ki… ki… ki…" She stuttured, face completely red.

"They kiss." Karin said simply with a straight face.

Oh.

 _No_.

That didn't explain anything at all.

"But Ichigo has kissed someone before." Rukia replied, remembering that incident with Kon inside Ichigo's body and Inoue.

"He has?!" The three others exclaimed.

"RUKIA!"

(That night, she was embarrassed to discover the main characters kiss on the lips. She turned red after Ichigo whispered that information in her ear, and she hadn't been able to look at him. Until she remembered she could use the play to pester him further. Jackpot.)

* * *

Stupid Rukia.

Stupid goat chin.

Stupid Ochi-sensei.

And stupid Shakespeare for writing that play!

You knew it was bad when Kurosaki Ichigo cursed at his favorite writer. But he couldn't help it! He was just so angry for being in this situation. It was incredibly unfair how he always found himself in the strangest of situations. But one thing was becoming a Shinigami and finding himself slaying beasts and another to act as the protagonist of a romantic play. He couldn't say all those mushy things Romeo always said. And never mind about the kisses. Yes. _Kisses_. As in plural. Little known fact, Romeo and Juliet kiss more than once in that play. Several actually. Thing you'd only know if you actually read the play and not conformed yourself with watching anime adaptations. They always make a big deal of the final kissing scene in the play, not realizing it wasn't even their first kiss. And it would've been awkward enough to be in that position with any girl in his class, but to have to say those lines to Rukia…

Fuck.

Fuck him.

Fuck his life.

He would die if he told Rukia he loved her, even if they were acting, because it was the truth. He had a huge crush on her, which he had realized he had when she had been taken away from him. Those feelings quickly became love. A love he didn't want to feel. If Rukia ever found out, there was no way she wouldn't reject him. Ichigo knew there were a million reasons for them not to be together, but, fuck, he wanted that. Only he couldn't confess. Not yet at least. Maybe when he grew stronger and had better control of his inner hollow. After Aizen was defeated. When pigs learned to fly…

Ah, good grief.

Life sucked.

Even more when he had secretly had the hope that Ochi-sensei was messing around when she told them they were supposed to play Romeo and Juliet, respectively. He had figured she would realize they weren't fit for the part. However, he had gone the next day to school to find out his teacher had already printed their individual scripts and had announced their specific parts.

 _Characters_

 _Romeo – Kurosaki Ichigo_

 _Juliet – Kuchiki Rukia_

 _Escalus – Kojima Mizuiro_

 _Paris – Asano Keigo_

 _Juliet's nurse – Arisawa Tatsuki_

 _Tybalt – Ishida Uryuu_

 _Benvolio – Sado Yasutora_

He had thrown a fit, which only gained him laughter.

Rukia, though, had been entirely content with the play.

It was suspicious.

Ichigo knew she couldn't possibly know the play, but he had thought that after telling her they were supposed to kiss, she would have reacted and rejected the idea as much as he had.

She hadn't.

At all.

If anything, she was killing the role as Juliet.

"O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?" Rukia said as she pretended to be looking out of a balcony. "Deny thy father, and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I'll no longer be a Capulet." She said dramatically.

"Wonderful, Kuchiki!" Ochi-sensei said as the rest of the class clapped. "You should work on your lines, Kurosaki." The teacher addressed him.

He merely grumbled.

"Why are you in such a bad mood, Ichigo?" Keigo asked him during lunch.

"Why do you think?" He replied, munching his food.

"If it were me, I'd be beyond thrilled to play Romeo and Juliet with Kuchiki-san!" His friend said. "Imagine… getting to kiss Kuchiki-san!" He said dreamily. That earned him a smack on the head.

"But, I would've never imagined you'd have trouble acting with Kuchiki-san." Mizuiro added.

"Why?" Ichigo wondered.

Mizuiro shared a look with the other guys. "You two work well together."

"You're familiar with each other." Chad mumbled.

"And you're hooking up!" Keigo added happily, which gained him another smack on the head. "Ow! Why do you keep hitting me, Ichigo?!"

"Let's get this straight. Rukia and I are _not_ dating!" He exclaimed while crossing his arms, his face completely red.

The rest mainly blinked.

"You're not?" Keigo asked as he nursed his wounded head.

"Not. One. Bit."

"Could've fooled me." Mizuiro said, not looking up from his phone.

Ichigo growled.

Ishida, who had remained quiet all that time, sighed and muttered something about Ichigo being useless under his breath. "Look, Kurosaki, it's just a play. Don't take it too seriously."

"Easy for you to say." Ichigo spat.

"You're not gonna be playing as you, you're gonna be Romeo and Kuchiki-san will be Juliet. If she doesn't think it's a problem, neither should you."

That actually made a lot of sense. Rukia clearly didn't give a damn about the whole ordeal. He didn't know if he should find that comforting or insulting. However, she wasn't making things awkward for him. She seemed to be genuinely enjoying the experience. Ichigo was glad about that. He knew she hadn't gotten the chance to live as a human. She had died as a baby, after all. Her life had been full of hardships, but while she was there with him in Karakura, Rukia got the chance to be a normal teenager like him. The least he could do was help her cultural festival experience be the best one yet.

That evening, Ichigo locked his door so Rukia wouldn't be able to go in his room, and he sat down memorizing and practicing his lines.

* * *

The cultural festival arrived together with the fall.

The first day, they all enjoyed the festival ─after rehearsing with Ochi-sensei, of course. Ichigo let Rukia around the place and the two went to several stands. They tried everything. Ichigo was delighted to see the way her eyes would lit up after trying a new thing. Being with Rukia was never boring. They also scoped the place to observe the competence. So far, their biggest competitors were class 2-B, who had put on a maid café. "I told you so!" Keigo had complained when they had found out but was promptly ignored by all of his friends. During the afternoon, they rehearsed some more and tried on their costumes one last time. His fit perfectly. Ishida and Inoue had outdone themselves with it. Rukia had seemed pleased with hers as well, as far as he could tell.

On the second day of the cultural festival, the day of their performance arrived. Ichigo had to admit he was nervous. He and Rukia had practiced all scenes except for the faithful kiss. As he had imagined, the other kisses were completely eliminated from their performance, which was good. The only problem was that now there was so much pressure on that final kiss before Romeo commits suicide. He would have to act that scene all by himself. What if he screwed up? Furthermore, what would Rukia think if they actually kissed? His father no doubt would record the whole thing and plaster pictures about it everywhere. It would be embarrassing. But not as embarrassing as liking kissing Rukia and her figuring it out. And did he mention this was his first kiss too?

This was madness.

"Ready, Ichigo?" Rukia asked him before their performance. She looked beautiful in that burgundy dress.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

She snickered. "As you humans say, break an arm!"

"It's a leg!"

Then, she stopped and winked at him. "Don't worry about _that_ scene. I have everything figured out."

Oh, boy.

He sure hoped she did.

* * *

So far, the play had gone well.

All the students were present.

The costumes were impeccable.

The acting… eh… not as shitty as it could have been. Those extra hours practicing the whole play had been worth it.

Ochi felt rather pleased with herself. _Romeo and Juliet_ never failed as a play. It had everything. Love. Hate. Awesome fight scenes. An incredible twist. It helped that the two main actors had chemistry as well. Even when Kurosaki would stutter on his lines, there was a fire in his voice each time he addressed Kuchiki. As for the girl, well, she was known for her theatrics in her manner of speech when addressing adults. Her acting was always over the top, but not right now. It looked natural. As if she felt every word. Misato just hoped they would keep that going.

It was finally time for one of her favorite scenes.

Romeo and Juliet had just met at the party, and Romeo went after her.

There he was. Kurosaki Ichigo. Dressed in tight clothes. He looked handsome, as noticed by the girls in the audience who kept swooning. He recited his lines to the public and then Kuchiki appeared on the balcony. The lights moved to her as Kurosaki walked towards the balcony. Yes! It was time for her favorite part of the play.

"But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?" Kurosaki recited, moving to look at Kuchiki's figure. "It is the east, and Juliet is the sun." He said the lines in such a sweet tone, and his eyes softened just so that it looked as if he was clearly in love. With each word he said, the public was entranced. Misato had never thought Kurosaki would look like that when looking at Kuchiki. She had been right. Her two students had a lot of chemistry. She wondered if this play would push them in the right direction.

"It is my lady. Oh, it is my love. Oh, that she knew she were!" Kurosaki said, as he swooned on stage. "She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that?"

"Ay me." Kuchiki said, her face the epitome of pain.

"She speaks." Kurosaki… no… _Romeo_ said as he got even closer to the balcony.

"O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?" Juliet said to the public. "Deny thy father and refuse thy name. Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet.

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose." She said, twirling a red rose in her hand. "By any other word would smell as sweet. So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, and for that name, which is no part of thee take all myself!" Kuchiki exclaimed.

"I take thee at thy word." Kurosaki said as he began climbing towards the balcony. Kuchiki did her part and looked startled. "Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized. Henceforth I never will be Romeo."

The audience sighed in glee once they looked at the two lovers reunited, speaking sweet, sweet words of love and marriage. Once they had promised to love each other forever, the curtain fell and everybody clapped. Misato had to wipe a tear off her eyes. They truly had done it. They had delivered the most heartfelt performance of the scene she had ever seen. They had the festival on the bag. Who could win against them after all of that?

Ochi-sensei spoke too soon.

Of course.

Of _fucking_ course.

They had to start bickering during the wedding scene.

"Stop stepping on my dress, fool!"

"It wasn't my fault!"

"I can't believe I'm marrying you!"

"Well you asked me to, _Juliet_!"

"Worst decision of my life!"

"Can we continue?"

She felt a tick on her eye.

But at least the audience seemed delighted.

They kept clapping and laughing at their antics.

Okay.

This could work after all.

* * *

Ichigo was tired already.

They had to condense an almost three-hour play into just an hour. That meant changing lines and making scenes shorter. It was supposed to go without any problems. Yet, of course that after a heartfelt scene, he and Rukia had screwed up the wedding scene. Okay, it wasn't _his_ fault he had stepped on her dress. She was just so short that the dress fit past her ankles. And, okay, _maybe_ he could have looked where he was going, but Rukia had no business breaking character to scold him. Then he had insulted her. Next thing he knew, the whole scene was a fiasco. At least the public was laughing, otherwise Ochi-sensei would have their heads. Then, of course Ishida had taken their fight too far. Ichigo hadn't known his friend would be so good at using a sword, even if a fake one, for his favorite weapon was a bow and arrow. He had had trouble keeping up! That fight wasn't even acting. Ishida seemed to genuinely want to fight him. Ichigo had won, of course. It was scripted after all. But that didn't mean he had had a good time. He would have to talk to Ishida about it after the play was over.

Oh, yes.

The ending was approaching.

The so dreaded finale.

Ichigo walked towards where Rukia lay, apparently dead. He had already defeated Kei─, I mean, _Paris_ in a less impressive fight than the one he had had with Tybalt. All that was left was for Romeo to join Juliet in death. Or at least that was what he believed. He reached the girl and gently touched her cheek as he recited the lines he had memorized by heart. "O my love, my wife! Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath!" He said faking agony. Well, it wasn't as much acting as he had hoped. Seeing Rukia like this had brought memories of her execution. What would have happened if he hadn't managed to save her in time? She would be just as dead as Juliet. All rosiness gone from her cheeks. Her eyes dull, without spark. Never hearing her laugh again. Never feeling her presence close to him again.

Was this what Romeo felt?

In the past, Ichigo had believed both of the protagonists were idiots. And he still did. But now he understood why they committed a double suicide. To live without the person you loved must be torture. He thought about his mother. About the whole in his chest after she left. Then he thought about Rukia. About her leaving him behind in the rain. He would never throw his life away. But he did understand the feeling that everything else was meaningless.

He reflected this pain in his acting. Ichigo walked around the grave, around Rukia, delivering his lines. He took the vial that was meant to be the poison and drank it. "Here's to my love!" Then he turned to look at Rukia again, who discreetly gave him a thumbs up. He pushed away the urge to roll his eyes and finished his lines. "O true apothecary, Thy drugs are quick." He leaned down, face close to Rukia's then. "Thus with a kiss I die." Ichigo closed his eyes and leaned down to Rukia.

This was it.

He was going to kiss her.

In front of everyone.

But before their lips could meet, Ichigo felt her soft hands on his face and pressure on his lips before they met Rukia's. He dropped to the floor, dead, before he could know what had happened. It was only when he was immobile that he noticed there was tape on his mouth.

That clever Rukia.

Ichigo couldn't help but smirk, although his face was entirely hidden by his arms. Next he felt weight on top of him and realized it had been Rukia's turn to die. He almost broke character and laughed at the silly faces she was making as the curtain fell.

Once they were receiving the applause of the public, Ichigo finally decided to openly glance at Rukia.

Time passed as she noticed his stare and smiled sweetly at him.

He smiled back.

Love had sprung in his chest before he had been able to realize it.

It wasn't love at first sight or anything of the sort.

It had been the gradual understanding that he didn't want to live without her.

That he wanted to be with her always.

And, yeah, sometimes Rukia drove him insane. Like when she had accepted the role of Juliet so easily. And he annoyed her too. Their little scene in the play being proof enough. And, somewhat, it wasn't a good idea to be together, with the "we live in different worlds" thing that was going on. But Ichigo found that he didn't care.

It was madness, alright, madness to feel so strongly about someone when everything could go to hell so easily.

But

Just looking at Rukia in that moment was enough to convince him it was the best decision he had ever taken.

* * *

 **A/N:** So, for me, true love is a conscious decision of wanting to support and cherish that special someone every day. I think it's also a very IchiRuki mindset, romantic or not.

Romeo and Juliet kiss for the first time right after they meet at the Capulets' party, btw. And they kiss more than once. I think they kiss again in the wedding and when Romeo leaves the next morning. Romeo kisses Juliet _before_ he takes the poison. I tweaked it to make it more dramatic. For her part, Juliet kisses Romeo's dead body to try and catch a bit of the poison he took before stabbing herself, lol. I cut them off to make the kiss more relevant.

The idea of using tape to cover their lips and avoid actually kissing was taken from Ranma 1/2.

The quote above has to be my favorite Romeo quote. I've always liked how it sounds when you say it out loud.


	42. Yes It Is

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** Hey, guys! I'm back for more! This is one of the prompts I was the most eager to write. However, I also got confused about what it meant. I thought it referred to the song "Yes It Is" by The Beatles, but apprently it's not... Anyway, I did base this one-shot on the song, which is why I included some of the lyrics. It's a very nostalgic song. I like it. I recommend listening to it as you read this piece. I really hope you like! Even if it's short, I do like how it turned out.

As always, a big thank you to all of you for reading, supporting and reviewing this story! We've now reached 300 reviews, 77 favorites and 77 follow. This is the most I've ever gotten in 10 years of writing fanfiction! I'm so happy right now! Thank you! Really, thank you!

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **Maiko:** I've also watched the Romeo and Juliet anime! It's very sweet. And, no, it's not an AU, it's set before Orihime goes to Hueco Mundo. Sorta like a filler in the anime. They won, of course. And they won tickets to a fair, lol. No kiss, yet. But there are more to come. Yeah, me too. I wish we've gotten a different ending, with less plot holes. Thank you for the review! Glad you liked both of them!

 **Bleach power:** Thank you very much! Yeah, Ishida decided it was payback time. Poor Ichigo. It would've been a nice filler episode, that's for sure. Well, I'm glad you liked it!

 **Anon:** Ooohhh. Well maybe for another one-shot I'll use that theme.

* * *

Yes It Is

 **Prompt:** red is the color that makes me blue

 **Summary:** When his new girlfriend wears a red dress, Ichigo remembers his only date with Rukia.

* * *

 _If you wear red tonight_

 _Remember what I said tonight_

 _For red is the color that my baby wore_

 _And what's more it's true_

 _Yes, it is_

* * *

Ichigo could see Orihime's happy face when he went to pick her up at her apartment that night. She giddily opened the door and gave him a dazzling smile. She wanted to be looked at. Girls don't wear that scarlet color to go unnoticed. What's more, they don't wear dresses with a v-neckline if they don't want something to happen that night. Ichigo felt his breath hitching for all the wrong reasons. Orihime seemed to take it as a compliment as she smiled bashfully at him. Even though they had known each other for forever, they had just started dating. She couldn't read him yet. Not that Ichigo expected her to. None other but _one_ person knew him inside out. _She_ would have noticed in a millisecond something was wrong. Not that was any use in comparing the two for she was gone.

"So… how do I look?" Orihime batted her eyelashes coquettishly.

"You look nice." He replied.

Truth be told, she looked stunning. Orihime was the kind of girl who had curves in all the right places. Any other man would have felt lucky to be able to call her his. Ichigo didn't. That accursed red color was making him want to go home and cry.

"Shall we go?" She asked him, still smiling, no doubt having mistaken his speechlessness for being love-struck instead of feeling sick.

Ichigo nodded despite himself.

The date passed by in a blur.

The restaurant was nice.

The food was nice.

His date was nice.

But he didn't care about any of those details.

The restaurant felt as if it would collapse on them.

The food was tasteless in his mouth.

And Orihime… well… Ichigo had wanted to ask her to change into another dress, preferably in another color. He couldn't focus on whatever she was blabbering about during the whole date, his mind completely distracted.

It wasn't as if she was a bad girl, though. She was kind and beautiful and funny. Ichigo could've been happy with her by his side, but there was one tiny yet significant detail. Deep down, he was still in love with another girl. He just couldn't forget her. That woman had made her way into his heart and she refused to leave. It was her home, after all. If Ichigo closed his eyes and focused on the girl in front of him, he could probably pretend to forget the one he actually wanted. But not tonight. Not when Orihime was wearing red.

Red.

Crimson red as blood.

That same red Rukia had worn that night.

It had been two years ago. Ichigo was just about to finish college. He had been excited about the future. He had been even more excited about her. Kuchiki Rukia. The whirlwind of a woman that had changed his life upside down. He had met her during his first year at college. He had mistaken her for a middle school girl due to her short stature. A kick to the shin was enough to make him understand that no, she wasn't a middle school girl, that she was in her second year of college, thank you very much. He had been smitten ever since. Well, no, that wasn't the right word. At first, Ichigo had been merely interested in her. In the same way one is interested in storms, earthquakes, volcanoes erupting, avalanches and other natural disasters. She was dangerous, he could tell, with her short, midnight hair, her wide, violet eyes, and that sassy smile of hers. All of his senses told him to escape her. He didn't. Because Kurosaki Ichigo liked challenges and there wasn't a greater challenge than Rukia.

They had started talking, because they happened to run into each other very often.

"I'm a Literature major." He had said one day in the cafeteria as they both sipped their cups of coffee. "My father wanted me to be a doctor like him. I wanted to be a cop."

"Oh? Then why you didn't become a cop?" She had asked him, leaning on the table to get closer to him.

"I got tired of playing hero." He had answered honestly.

"So you decided to read about heroes instead?"

"Touché."

"I wanted to become an artist." Rukia muttered suddenly, her eyes getting a faraway look.

"Then why didn't you?" Ichigo found himself asking, leaning closer to her as she had done before.

She shrugged. "Brother wanted me to study business, so here I am."

"Maybe one day you can become an artist." He had replied, not knowing what else to say.

She beamed at him in a way that made his heart stop beating inside his chest. "Maybe one day you'll become a hero."

Ichigo had found ways to hang out with her more after that conversation.

No. It wasn't pursuing, as his friends had mildly put it. It was finding ways to spend more time together. So what if his interest in her had increased? It wasn't interest anymore. It wasn't quite infatuation either, no matter what his friends said. It was friendship. It went beyond friendship. It was finding the one person you could understand and that could understand you without asking questions. Rukia never asked him deep, personal questions. She never pressed him to share more about him than what he was willing to give. That was a first. Ichigo liked to keep things bottled up deep, deep within himself. He was a mystery to those around him. Many had tried to pry things out of him. None had succeeded. Rukia hadn't even had to try. He found himself opening up until all words had escaped his mouth and went tumbling down into her ears. She was a great listener. She didn't give him advice. She didn't even try to make things seem insignificant compared to the pain of others. She cheered him up in her own Rukia-way.

Rukia wasn't a sharer either. She just said what was necessary in every situation. Ichigo came to know her through her body language instead of her words. She liked her coffee just with one spoonful of sugar, no cream. She played with her fingers when she was nervous. She preferred dresses to pants. She used sarcasm to conceal her true feelings. She went to an orphanage every month and read to the kids. She also liked to read like him. The difference was she only read adventure and horror books. She imagined herself as her own savior, helping her escape the tower she was trapped in. She was mischievous and annoying and kind and caring and smart and just everything Ichigo had ever hoped to be. Rukia didn't see him as a prince charming or someone who was destined to save her. She saw him as an equal. He was enough for her as he was. But, still, he wanted to do better, be better for her and for himself.

"I don't need someone who can sweep me off of my feet." Rukia had told him once.

"Of course not. You're tough. You could sweep him off of his feet instead." He had retorted.

She had laughed and it sounded like bells. "Won't I hurt his macho pride?"

"You wouldn't date that type of guy."

"Touché."

They had gone silent and then Rukia had gotten close, close to him, bare legs brushing against his. "And what about you? Will you sweep a girl off of her feet?"

"Only if she wanted to."

She had given him an inquisitive smile.

And after almost four years of knowing each other, after countless dreamless nights evoking her in his mind, after all the bickering, the heart-to-hearts, the secrets shared with a cup of coffee, Ichigo had managed to ask her out. "I've got a reservation, you see." He had said. "I won a reservation at a fancy restaurant." He had added. Nervously, he had asked, "Do you want to go with me?" Rukia had grinned at him and then had pecked his cheek. "Did you even have to ask?"

It wasn't a ruse.

His father did give him a reservation at the restaurant Las Noches for free. Isshin had claimed he had won it fair and square. Ichigo hadn't believed him one bit but hadn't wanted to miss the chance.

It wasn't as if they had never gone out just the two of them. But it had never been a date. Not really. They had never held hands or kissed or done anything of the sort. It was always just the two of them hanging out. But this was different. It was meant to be a date. The restaurant was fancy and classy, just as she was used to. Ichigo wore slacks and a blue dress shirt as well as his nicest shoes. His hair was as disheveled as ever but he had shaved. He was presentable enough. He had arrived early. Rukia had claimed she would meet him there. It was better. Less nervousness. So he had waited at their table, fumbling with his napkin when she suddenly appeared.

"Sorry I'm late!"

Midnight hair combed to the pack and pinned with a comb.

Gold eye shadow on her eyelids, making her eyes sparkle.

Lips red, red, as if she had bitten a cherry and they had gotten stained.

And the dress!

God, the dress!

It was scarlet and tight on her body, fitting in all the right places.

It had a sweetheart neckline, which made her breasts seem fuller.

The black high heels only made her legs look smoother.

She was gorgeous.

Ichigo had become speechless and Rukia had laughed. "I'm gonna take that as a compliment." She had said, winking at him.

He had made a strangled noise before standing up and greeting her properly. "You… uh… you look very pretty."

"You don't look bad yourself." She had said, a slender finger tracing his chest.

His Adam's apple bobbled. "Do you want to sit down?" He said, gesturing to the table.

"Lighten up, Ichigo! It's fine!" She had said, referring to how nervous he had looked.

Everything went great after that.

Ichigo couldn't have been able to tell you what they had eaten and drunk that day. He didn't even remember if their food had been fine or if it had been gross. But he could retell bit by bit every conversation they had had. Rukia had graduated a year earlier and had been working for a company. Her work sucked, she had said. She felt like a mindless zombie most days. Ichigo had cheered her up, saying she could take anything. She had smiled at him differently, then. As if she had wanted this moment to never end. He had felt the same way. Every moment they got to be together, was the best moment of his life. They ate dessert and then Ichigo walked her home. She didn't live that far away. They enjoyed a comforting stroll through the streets of the town he had grown up in.

"Do you ever wish you could make time stop?" Rukia had suddenly asked him, standing near a fountain.

"All the time." He had said as he stared right into her eyes.

They had kissed, then.

It was soft.

It was sweet.

It was passionate.

Rukia tasted like roses and strawberries and chocolate, and he didn't know if it was because that had been what they had had for dessert or if that was the way she tasted regularly, but it felt as the very taste of love.

It was all he had ever wanted.

They parted and Rukia had pulled him close for a second kiss and then a third and a fourth. And time passed by and they were suddenly in front of her apartment. She looked so shy, embarrassed even, as she played with her keys.

"We should do this again sometime." He had blurted out before he lost all sense of bravery.

She had beamed at him. "I'd like that."

There had been one last kiss before they had parted ways, and if Ichigo had known it'd be their last kiss, he would have made sure it lasted longer. He would have cherished it with all of his soul.

But he hadn't.

A week later, it was announced Kuchiki Rukia, heiress to the Kuchiki Enterprises, was getting married with the son of a mogul, of such an unremarkable name Ichigo had since long forgotten it.

They hadn't seen each other after that or spoken to each other over the phone or anything of the sort.

But Ichigo had been unable to forget her.

That dress haunted his dreams as did the kisses and everything he had gone through with Rukia. He couldn't believe all those carefree days were over and there was only loss and regret awaiting him. There were many what-ifs. If only he had asked her out sooner. If only he had confessed his feelings to her. But there was no use in imagining such scenarios. Rukia had once told him that her days of freedom were counted. That one day they would be over and she would have to return to the life she so wanted to escape. He had told her to escape. She had countered she would need a hero. Ichigo had had to bite his tongue unless he said something corny like "I'll be your hero," and he instead had told her she could be her own hero. She had smiled at that. But, at the end of the day, neither had been the hero.

All that was left were the plans they never got to do, those kisses shared in the calmness of the night, and that red dress.

Ichigo had hated the color ever since.

He had gotten rid of all the red clothing he owned.

For red was the color that made him blue.

And not even his new girlfriend wearing it or using it to seduce him would be able to change his mind.

Nothing would be able to get him to forget Rukia.

That was his curse.

That was his pride.

Understandably, he and Orihime hadn't dated for long. That red dress was just the beginning of her dawning realization that he would never love her in the way she wanted to be loved. Orihime had broken up with him rather sweetly, if he said so himself. She had explained her reasons. She hadn't blamed him even if he was to blame. They had parted ways and Orihime had soon started dating someone more deserving of her. He was happy for her. He truly was. But Rukia was still on his mind, now more than ever.

That had been six months ago.

His family and friends had all been worried about him ever since. As if Orihime was at fault for his mood. She wasn't. It wasn't Rukia either. It was just the accursed color. Ichigo saw red everywhere. When the sun began to set. On the stop signs. Street lights. People walking around. While eating apples. Everything was red. Meanwhile, he felt blue. He still went out. He went to work and he went to the gym and he occasionally hit the bar with Keigo and Chad. It was just that the nostalgia and the feeling that maybe he could have prevented all of it were too much for him sometimes.

And now he was here. In Las Noches again.

His father had told him to go there for a nice, family dinner. But he was nowhere in sight. Neither were his sisters. Their reservation had been at seven and half an hour had passed with no signs of them. Ichigo sighed. Maybe it would be better if he went home. He was about to call his father again when a voice startled him.

"Sorry I'm late."

There, in front of him, wearing a tight red dress, was Kuchiki Rukia herself, smiling brightly at him, as if not one day had passed since their date, almost three years ago.

"R-Rukia!" He exclaimed, instantly standing up and walking towards her. He couldn't believe it! Was it possible? Or was it just a mirage?

She closed the distance between them and kissed his lips. It was soft.

Huh.

She really did taste like roses and strawberries and chocolate and all delightful things.

"Sorry I came so late." She said, wrapping her arms around him.

"No." Ichigo replied, managing to find his voice. "You arrived just in time."

* * *

 **A/N:** Is Rukia's unnamed fiancé Renji, Ashido, Kaien? I don't know. I didn't think that far ahead. It wasn't important to me. And no, Rukia didn't get married. She kept putting off the wedding until Byakuya asked her what was up. She fessed up and said she was in love with someone else and that she wanted to live a different life. So she decided to pursue a career as an artist. One day, she ran into Isshin and she asked about Ichigo. Together they made that plan so that she could meet Ichigo again.


	43. A Lifetime By Your Side

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** Yo! I'm back with more fluff! So I knew from the moment I was coming up with the plot for the last story that most of you would dislike some parts. The prompt was sad by itself, but mixing in the inspiration that came from the song it became more dramatic. I was meant to write Rukia as a shadow which haunted Ichigo through the color red. This vanishing woman who came into the protagonist's life and then suddenly disappeared and he can't help but miss her. It's a very used trope. The one that got away. I know many people do not like this kind of trope, and in real life I too dislike it. But it was also something that fit the theme set by the prompt. I know I've tweaked the prompts before to make them more comedic, but I just honestly couldn't change that one. It is like it is. In all honesty, the plan was for the story to end without a reunion, but that was the part that felt bland to me, like all other stories in which the protagonist never gets the girl, and she seems uncaring. So Rukia came back to Ichigo. She left for so long honestly so I could torture Ichigo for a while. Orihime was just used there for the imagery. She didn't have any other purpose than to make Ichigo remember Rukia. Don't think I'll ever write something in which they ultimately end up together. So, if you read her name in any other fic, keep reading. She won't ever end up with him in my own works of fiction. This has been a PSA.

As for today's one-shot, no more drama. It's pure fluff. It's set right after "I'll Spend The Rest of My Life" so I'll need to update the list of all the one-shots that make up my alternate timeline. By the way, the events mentioned in all of them are briefly mentioned.

As always, a big thank you to all of you for your continuous support!

See you next time!

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **Maiko:** I thought of a cop because I feel that a very young Ichigo would have felt he could protect people that way. But he didn't become one in the end. Thank you! I liked writing those scenes. That word comes from French but English adopted it along many, many other words from that language. It comes from fencing, but in that context it was used in a way as for them to admit the other made a clever point. You can imagine the fiancé as whoever you want. Oh, and Isshin wanted them together and helped when he could! I'm glad you liked it! Well, Ichigo was 18 when he met Rukia, 22 when the date happened, and he's like 25 during this. Rukia's six months older than him in this fic. Thanks for the review! See you!

* * *

A Lifetime By Your Side

 **Prompt:** it's just ten years, but it's such a long time

 **Summary:** As the anniversary of the day they met arrives, Ichigo and Rukia discuss the past and the future.

* * *

Rukia woke up early that morning. It wasn't unusual. She did wake up early almost every day, but that day it felt different than ordinary. She looked down at her bed and found her husband fast asleep. _Her husband_. Those words made her feel butterflies whenever she thought about them. Although they had only been married for over a week, the knowledge that she was actually married to Ichigo hadn't quite set in. It felt honestly like a dream come true. A smile formed on her face as she gently brushed his spiky hair back. The orange tresses were softer than they appeared. In his sleep, Ichigo didn't frown. He was relaxed and he smiled when he felt Rukia's touch. She grinned and leaned down to kiss his forehead. "Wake up." She whispered in his ear. Ichigo grumbled but didn't wake up. She kissed his neck then, sucking a bit for added effect. A moan escaped his lips and she smirked. "Wake up." She said again, louder this time. He shifted in his sleep and suddenly brown, warm eyes were staring at her.

"Hey." Ichigo mumbled, voice gruff from the sleep.

"Good morning, sleepy head." Rukia greeted him.

He suddenly grabbed her and nuzzled his head in the crook of her neck. "Now's a good morning."

She giggled and pecked his lips, causing his smile to widen. "It is."

"How are you awake after last night?" He wondered and the question caused Rukia to blush. They were currently in their room, the white sheets barely covering their naked bodies. Last night, and every night since their wedding for that matter, had been fantastic in more ways than one. She really shouldn't be ashamed. It had happened before, even when they weren't married, but she felt embarrassed to admit out loud she loved being like this with Ichigo.

"I felt different." She said, shrugging.

"Different? How? You're not getting sick on me?" Ichigo asked, sitting down, the sheet falling from his body to reveal his well-toned chest. She bit her lip, action that didn't go unnoticed for he smirked. "Like what you see?"

"Shut up." Rukia slapped his chest. "I just feel as if we're forgetting something."

"What could we possibly forget?" He asked, playing with her long hair.

"Say, what day is it?" She countered, trying to think if they had a meeting of some sort. Surely not. They had been given a leave for two weeks for their honeymoon. Ichigo thought about it for a minute and then said the day. Both gasped and looked at each other. "You mean today is…?"

"The day we met." He finished for her.

Memories rushed to both of them.

Ichigo's old room in Karakura Town.

The Hollow.

Sode No Shirayuki impaling his chest.

Ichigo's first transformation as a Shinigami.

How their story had begun.

"So it's been now, what? Ten years?" Ichigo asked out loud.

"Seems like it."

"It's funny. It feels as if I've known you for a lifetime." He admitted.

Rukia raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" It sounded as if he was calling her a handful.

"It's just all of our adventures didn't actually expand for a long time, but, in reality, it felt as if we had been together forever." He started explaining. "The first time, you and I were partners for roughly two months before…" He trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"Before nii-sama and Renji took me back to the Soul Society. Yes, I remember." She answered, smiling reassuringly at him to express she wasn't sad at remembering those memories. They were painful. Very. But they had led her to where she was now.

"Back then, I knew you were worth risking everything." Ichigo said sincerely, taking her hand in his. "But I didn't know exactly why. And I didn't know for a long time until you went away the second time."

They both recalled those seventeen months. They had changed in many different ways, but their bond had remained as strong if not stronger than before.

"I visited you during those months." Rukia confessed. "Did I ever tell you about that?"

"Not in detail." He answered. He had never brought it up and she had only mentioned it in passing during the six years they had been on a relationship. "When exactly did you come?"

"Only a few times. A couple of days… on your birthday."

Ichigo visibly winced. "You saw that?" He whispered, voice raw.

Rukia turned her body and wrapped her arms firmly around him too. His arms embraced her as well and both remained in that position for some time. "I was a mess too, you know?" She said, looking into his eyes. "I wanted to hug you like I'm doing now."

He nodded and then hummed. "That's what I'm saying. We had known each other for just a few months and we were both in despair."

"Remember what you told me before? That maybe we met in another lifetime?" She said, putting her head on his shoulder. Ichigo nodded. "What if it was true?"

He seemed to ponder it for a few minutes and then he shrugged. "It might be. But I'm beginning to think it's more about our personalities. We complement each other."

"We _are_ a good team."

"And we lived through similar experiences and we have similar personalities. Maybe it has to do with that."

"Or that we changed each other's worlds."

"That too."

They stayed silent, just enjoying being this close to one another. Rukia thought about everything they had lived through together. She thought about those early days, living in Ichigo's closet. She thought about learning more about Ichigo day by day until she really couldn't imagine a time when they hadn't known each other. Then, she returned to Soul Society. She recalled the guilt for having dragged him to her world. It became stronger when he came to save her. But, deep down, Rukia had felt immeasurable happiness of knowing she meant as much to Ichigo as he meant to her. Then he had rescued her, and in that moment she had become aware that there was no going back. She thought about their other adventures. About hollows, the Arrancar, Hueco Mundo, Aizen. Then, their bittersweet goodbye just after winning the war. She reminisced their months apart. Her promotion to lieutenant. Cutting her hair short. Visiting Ichigo in Karakura. Urahara's plan to give him his powers back. The hilt of the sword in her hands as she returned to him that which he had wanted most. Their new hello. Then, it was yet another war. The emotional and physical wounds they had sustained. The last battle. The fear of Ychwach coming back even if Ishida had assured them he wouldn't. Her failed relationship with Renji, driven by the fear of having feelings towards someone she thought was out of her reach. Ichigo's confession right before her wedding. The decision to not marry Renji. Going to Karakura with Ichigo for a month. Their developing relationship until he moved to the Soul Society. Six years of bickering and kisses and misunderstandings and more love than Rukia thought it was possible to ever feel. Late night conversations. Training together. Working on paperwork until the sun set. Dinner with nii-sama. Travels to Karakura. The beach. Restless weeks as he went to Hueco Mundo and she stayed behind. More hollows to purify. New trainees to look for and train. Holding hands. Kisses stolen here and there. Making love, while covered in the darkness of the night. A heartfelt proposal. Their wedding.

Ten years weren't long for someone like Rukia, who had been around for over a century. And she had lived. She had lived many experiences, some great others bad. There had been times when she hadn't thought about the future. There had been others when she had wondered if there was a future to look forward to. But they couldn't compare to everything she had shared with Ichigo. There had been blood and tears but there had been more smiles and more comfort than she had ever known before. Because Ichigo made her want to live every day to the fullest, even if he wasn't right next to her. Because of his will, she had been given the life she had always wanted. A relationship with her brother. Friends who cared about her. A place in her squad. Rukia would have been content with knowing she had met Ichigo even if they hadn't gotten together at the end. But having the knowledge she would get more love than ever in her life given so freely, with no attachments and without asking, make her realize she had chosen well. Being merely satisfied just wasn't enough. Being completely happy was what she had always strived for. Nothing else could compare to what Ichigo made her feel, made her experience. He was often grateful to her for showing him the world of the Shinigami, the world he truly belonged in. But Rukia felt so much grateful for finally meeting someone who believed in her, no questions asked.

It did feel like a lifetime, because every day with Ichigo was better than the last.

And there was even more to come.

"Thank you." Rukia suddenly said.

"What for?" He asked, clearly surprised.

"For _everything_." She said meaningfully.

"That's my line." Ichigo smiled before kissing her deeply, passionately, the way he always was.

"Our future will be even brighter." He said, breaking the kiss.

Rukia smiled and pulled him closer.

They both were meant for great things. They were so many yet to come. But the greatest thing in their lives had been the chance they had had to meet all those ten years ago.

* * *

 **A/N:** Yep. Mamoru was conceived during that very day, just so you know.

Now there's the actual timeline because I missed one last time:

1\. "What I Want Most" ─ set during those 17 months apart.

2\. "The Six of Hearts" ─ set during the final battle.

3\. "Not Over Yet" ─ two years after the battle.

4\. "Connected." ─ a month after #3, lasts overall around three months.

5\. "Warm By The Beach" ─ 6 years after the final battle, 4 years of relationship.

6\. "More Than Fate" ─ 8 years after the final battle, 6 years of relationship.

7\. "I'll Spend The Rest of My Life" ─ set a few months after #6.

8\. "A Lifetime By Your Side" ─ a week after #7, 10 years after the very beginning of Bleach.

9\. "I Call Your Name" ─ exactly two months after #7.

10\. "Death & Strawberry" ─ 10 years after the final battle, 8 years of relationship, 2 years after they got married.

11\. The end of "What I Want Most" ─ 14 years after the final battle, 12 years of relationship, 5 years of marriage, and their kids are almost 5 and 2 1/2, respectively.


	44. Pretty

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** so, you know when I said I was going to update soon I lied, right? I'm so sorry! My excuse is the same as always, I got stuck in both work and my studies. It just got really hard to write, and I also got major writer's block. It seems writing other stuff while attempting to write fanfiction is tough for my brain. But I'm back. I'm sad I missed Christmas and Rukia's birthday, but at least I'm here with a Valentine's Day one-shot. Again, it's not Valentine's themed, but it was inspired by that scene in Jump Force with Rukia and Ichigo, you know which one I'm talking about. I'm still not over it! I'm so happy about it! So here's this little one-shot to commemorate the occasion. Hope you like it! And, yeah, I'll complete the rest of the IR Month prompts, plus other short stories. I'm just having a hard time sitting down to actually write something. Hope with this one-shot I somehow broke through my writer's block.

Anyway, hopefully, I'll see you guys soon, again!

Thanks again for all your love and support! Your reviews always make me happy!

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **Guest:** Thank you! I'm really glad you liked them!

 **Guest 2:** Yeah! I'll totally write more stories with the IR babies. Just you wait!

 **Maiko:** It's alright! English isn't my first language either, but I have to investigate such things since I teach the language lol. And it's no problem! They're not useless. I'm happy to answer them. I do like writing Rukia being older than Ichigo, but it sometimes doesn't work when it comes to high school AUs. I don't know. Mamoru was a very popular name for the IR kid since, forever I guess. It wasn't my first pick. Actually, I used to name their baby as "Ichirou", but, honestly, after the ending I wasn't feeling the name anymore, and I decided to name him Mamoru, since it means "to protect", but also because I like that name haha. One of my OCs was named like that.

 **Bleach power:** Thank you! I'm glad you liked the name!

* * *

Pretty

 **Summary:** Ichigo had always known Rukia was pretty.

* * *

"He helped me with my homework."

Ichigo tried really hard not to scoff after listening to Rukia's words.

"Is that so?"

The girl in front of him beamed at him with that bright smile of hers.

"Yep! Turns out it wasn't so difficult. I'm slowly mastering being a human!"

"Oi, real humans don't say stuff like that."

"Shut up!"

The conversation was over. It wasn't even substantial to begin with. It would have been quite inconsequential to most people. However, it had bothered Ichigo. Like, _really_ bothered him. Honestly, it was stupid. It wasn't a big deal anyway. Yes. Rukia was back in Karakura for an unknown period of time. That meant she lived with him again, and she got to go to school with him, once more pretending to be a human girl. And, yeah, Rukia definitely still had some trouble acting like an actual teenager, and understanding all their classes. Math was especially difficult for her. So, it was no surprise she had needed help. Even if the help hadn't come from him. But it was alright. Everything was fine. _Dandy_. He definitely wasn't bothered because Uehara Takeishi, the biggest Casanova in their year, had been the one to help Rukia with her homework. It wasn't like he had flirted with her or anything, right?

Like hell.

Uehara had totally and absolutely made a move on Rukia.

After all…

"He never could say no to a pretty woman…" Ichigo muttered under his breath.

Rukia suddenly stopped walking and stared at him. "Did you say something?"

Crap!

He had totally said that out loud.

Cursing his stupid mouth, Ichigo coughed and scratched his head. "Er… no… nothing."

There!

He was saved!

Rukia just raised a delicate eyebrow at him. "If you say so."

They started walking again, but maybe it was just Ichigo's imagination or had the weather suddenly turned colder? And had Rukia grown quiet? Well, of course, he had messed up! With that little comment he had made everything weird.

The rest of the way, Ichigo kicked himself for being an idiot. There was no way Rukia would be comfortable after that. Great. He had potentially ruined their friendship. Now, she was probably going to pack her things and run back to Soul Society. Hell, maybe even Byakuya would come and personally kick his ass for disrespecting his precious sister. He would be lucky if he survived after that. And then he'd never see Rukia again until the day he actually died. And then Byakuya would probably kill him again, and he'd get reincarnated, never getting to see her ever again. And after their reunion too!

While Ichigo was busy berating himself, he didn't notice they had reached his house until Rukia stood in front of the door, motionless.

"Rukia?" He asked her, a bit baffled by her actions.

"You know, I wouldn't be mad if you said those words again." She answered, rather cryptically, her bangs covering her face, making it impossible for him to see her expression.

"What?" Ichigo blurted out.

"Don't make me repeat myself!" Rukia yelled at him, completely flustered.

His cheeks turned red.

She couldn't possibly mean─

"Oi, Rukia!" He called after her, but it was too late, she had already run inside.

Ichigo took a few seconds to recover, still gaping at the scene.

"Ichigo! Welcome home! Eh? Why are you standing there? Did something happen?" His father asked him, but Ichigo simply ignored him.

"It's nothing." He said, as he went inside, his face still flushed.

Che.

Of course Rukia would never make things easy for him.

However, it wasn't as if it had been a big revelation or anything.

Ichigo had always known Rukia was pretty. No, scratch that. She was beautiful, breathtakingly so. He just hadn't been aware hearing those words would mean so much to her. But, he supposed, as independent and strong-willed as she was, Rukia was still a girl. And girls liked that sort of thing.

Ichigo cracked his neck and took a deep breath before going inside his room, where he knew Rukia was.

"Let's do this."

And he was a man. A man who knew what was standing in front of him. So, he decided, he had to do what a man had to do.

Opening the door, he found her sitting on his bed, trying to read one of her horror manga.

"Rukia."

Said girl turned to look at him, eyes gleaming and cheeks pink.

"Ichigo."

"Don't talk to Uehara again."

"Huh?" She seemed dumbfounded for a moment. "Why not?!"

"Because pretty girls like you are his common prey. You gotta be careful with guys like that."

She scoffed. "I can take care of my─" She abruptly stopped speaking, only to stare at him, wide-eyed. "Did you just…"

"A-and if you ever need help with your homework, just ask me. It's my job after all." Ichigo tried to say as nonchalantly as possibly, even though his whole face was red again.

Rukia, then, giggled and smiled at him. "Well, how about you help me with the history project?"

He rolled his eyes as he sat next to her. "You'd think someone who's lived this long would know all about history."

That gained him getting his head smacked.

"I'll have you know I don't look a day older than seventeen." Rukia replied, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Ichigo simply chuckled and gently brushed her hair back, caressing her cheek on the way, which made her gasp softly. "You're right about that."

Huh.

This close she looked even prettier.

Rukia coughed awkwardly. "Anyway, I believe you were gonna help me, _sensei_."

"Hai, hai."

That day Ichigo learned two things.

One, Rukia was even more terrible at history than at math.

And…

Two,

Her skin was impossibly soft.

She was pretty, indeed.

* * *

 **A/N:** I know Sanji said those things, but I didn't know how to include him in this story without it being weird, so I just created a new character, lol.


	45. If We Got Married

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** I'm back! Sorry for the wait. I wish I came back here with more one-shots left from IR Month, however inspiration hasn't struck. Instead, I bring you a short one-shot that I was inspired to write after watching like ten times a video someone made in which Ichigo and Rukia got married. I posted it on Tumblr but you can search for it by typing "We do always love you." It's very beautiful. Anyway, I hope you like this story. I had a great time writing it.

As always, thank you so much for reviewing, following, reading and putting this collection on your favorites. You guys rock!

I'll see you when I can, promise!

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **Guest:** Same here! Only for that scene too!

 **Bleach power:** He was, wasn't he? I love writing jealous Ichigo.

 **Cass:** ¡muchísimas gracias! Me alegra que te gusten.

 **Guest 2:** Thank you very much! Yeah, I know what you mean. I honestly don't know how Ichigo'd age. A lot of things don't make much sense, so your bet is as best as mine lol.

 **Guest 3:** I guess?

* * *

If We Got Married

 **Summary:** Ichigo and Rukia talk about the future.

* * *

"─I'd move to Soul Society."

Ichigo's voice suddenly broke the silence around them. Rukia was sprawled on his bed, uncaring if her dress rode up her legs, as she read her newest horror manga. Since she rarely got any free time anymore, the lieutenant was enjoying every second of her visit to Karakura doing her favorite World of the Living activities, which included reading manga, going to the park, and, yes, being as lazy as possible. On his desk, Ichigo had been working on a project. As he was close to graduating high school, he was putting all of his energy into passing his classes. He had been ignoring her for the past hour, so Rukia was surprised he would try talking to her now.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked him, putting her manga away and sitting on the bed. She had been so focused that she had missed the first part of whatever he had said.

"I said," Ichigo tried again, his back to her, "that if we ever got married, I'd move to Soul Society."

"Huh?" Rukia blurted out, her mouth opening and closing several times. "What in the world are you talking about?"

Her friend chose that moment to turn to look at her. Ichigo was scowling at her ─how typical─ and pursing his lips. He looked deep in concentration. As if he was stopping himself from saying something. What surprised Rukia was that his cheeks were starting to get red. Either from embarrassment or from anger, she really couldn't tell. Eventually, he sighed and shook his head.

"What do you think I meant by that?" He asked rhetorically. "I'm talking about our future, idiot."

"Do not call me an idiot, fool!" She replied, jabbing at his sides. His subsequent groan was music to her ears. "And why would you move to the Soul Society? You have a family and friends here." She added, as she crossed her arms.

"One, you're a lieutenant. You can't just drop your job to come here." Ichigo said, holding up one finger, numbering his arguments. "Two," he said, holding up a second finger, "my family and friends can get passes to visit us there. "Three," and then he had the gall to smirk at her, "I intend to move there eventually anyway."

She rolled her eyes. "What about your future job?"

"Can always drop it for the job I truly want."

Rukia scoffed. "Fine. But you better not want to quit your job as a Shinigami. It's serious work!"

It was his turn to roll his eyes. "I know, I know. It's not like I've been a substitute Shinigami for years." He muttered sarcastically.

"So you'd move to the Soul Society… And then what?"

"We could do whatever we wanted. I draw the line at staying at Byakuya's, though." Ichigo said, seriously. "Can't have fun times with him and your other relatives listening in." He added as an afterthought, his voice laced with humor at the implication.

It was Rukia's turn to blush. Either from embarrassment or from anger, she couldn't tell.

"O-of course we wouldn't stay with nii-sama!" She exclaimed. "As my husband, you'd need to buy us a house!"

"And why should I be the one buying the house? You've been working for far longer. Plus you're from a rich family!" He pointed out.

"Then we'd both buy it, happy?!" She retorted. "Jeez, you like to make mountains out of molehills."

Ichigo waited a few seconds until Rukia's face turned a perfect shape of red, and turned to gape at him. " _Fun times_?!" She screeched. "What do you mean by 'fun times'?!"

He grinned at her in a way that spoke trouble to her heart. "Well, we'd be married, y'know. And that's one of the perks of marriage." He said, as he scratched his neck far too innocently for her liking.

"Oh, I see." Rukia muttered. "So, _Kurosaki-kun_ only wants to marry me for my body? My, my, you're such a pervert, _Kurosaki-kun_ ~!" She said in that tone of voice Ichigo absolutely despised.

"Oi! Don't act like you don't want me too." He replied, flexing his various muscles, which could be seen perfectly in the tight shirt he was wearing. When Rukia didn't answer right away, and instead focused all of her attention on him, Ichigo's grin got wider. "See? You totally dig this."

Rukia mumbled something which sounded suspiciously like "egocentric bastard" but didn't add anything else about it.

"Then what?"

Ichigo thought for a moment and then nodded to himself. "The ceremony. Where would you want to have it?"

"Nii-sama would probably want us to have a very traditional ceremony. However, I'm sure you'd want your human friends to participate in it." She answered, as she pondered on the topic.

"We could host it at Urahara's. He has enough space, and it's probably the only place where all our Shinigami friends and human friends could fit together, no matter what type of ceremony we'd have." Ichigo replied. "If you want a more traditional ceremony, I'm game with that." He told her. "But if you want something else, I'll happily intimidate Byakuya into letting you do whatever you want."

Rukia tried to appear annoyed at him, but was actually smiling. "Alright. I'll think about it."

"And if it's too much trouble, we could always elope."

That got him a punch in the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?!" Ichigo complained, as he rubbed his injured arm.

"Fool." Rukia merely said. "Our family and friends would be hurt if we did that."

He contemplated it for a few moments, and then shrugged. "I'm sure they'd understand."

She didn't deign answer that. Instead, she looked at him expectantly. "What else?"

"Hmm… when would you like to get married? Four years from now?" He asked her.

"Isn't that too soon for you?"

"Most people here marry at that age." Ichigo shrugged. "But we could wait more, if you want to."

"What about eight years?" Rukia suggested.

"You'd seriously make me wait that long?" He feigned being upset.

"If you really wanted to marry me, you'd wait." She smirked at him.

Ichigo chuckled. "Eight years it is."

"Gives you enough time to save for that house too." Rukia joked, making him laugh some more.

"Alright… so there's just one more thing left to discuss." He said, blushing once more.

"What is it?"

"Kids."

Rukia got stunned for a moment. Blushing, she turned to Ichigo, her eyes wide. "K-kids?" She choked.

"I mean," he coughed, "we don't have to have any if you don't want to."

"I… uh… it's not that." She mumbled. "It's just, we'd have to… you know…"

Ichigo's ears turned red.

"I mean, I told you, we'd be married, so…"

"So…"

After a pregnant pause, Ichigo tried again. "So how many would you want?"

Rukia thought about it for a moment. "I had a sister." She began saying. "But I never met her. So I'd like for my kids to have the experience of growing up with a sibling."

He nodded in agreement. "So two?"

"Hang on." She told him. "You have two sisters, so you're three in total. How does it feel growing up in a family of five?"

"Normal, I guess? I didn't get to play so much with the twins, since I'm older than them." Ichigo answered truthfully.

"So they shouldn't have a big age gap, huh?" Rukia said. Then, she nodded to herself. "A difference of two years should be enough."

"Then we'd have a toddler and a baby."

"Yeah, but they'd be able to play together."

"You're right. Yeah, okay. But how many?"

"What about we start with two, and then we see if we want more." Rukia proposed.

"Sounds like a plan."

They smiled at each other and fell into a comfortable silence. She hummed as she thought about their conversation. "So we'd get married in eight years, we'd have the wedding at Urahara's, and then you'd come live with me at the Soul Society in a house we'd both buy. And we'd have two kids, unless we wanted more later on." She summed up all their points. "Anything else?"

"Yeah." Ichigo replied. "But, to do all that, we'd have to date first." He declared.

"Huh?"

"So, Rukia." He continued speaking. He reached out and held both of her hands in his. "Wanna go out on a date tomorrow?"

"Sounds like a plan." She answered, mimicking his words from before.

(And ten years later, they would both be married, living in Soul Society, and raising two kids. All according to the plan.)

* * *

 **A/N:** So this one-shot is set in a timeline where the ending didn't suck so much. It's not included in my "Not Over Yet" alternate timeline, but the end results are exactly the same, lol.

On another topic, I'll have you know I'm writing a GoT AU story, with Ichigo and Rukia. How many of you like GoT?


	46. Through Your Eyes

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** Welp, I'm back for Ichigo's birthday! Yeah, yeah, I know it's a day late, but bear with me! I usually take longer. The real reason, though, is that I'd actually written this one-shot MONTHS before, but back then I thought "hmmm, it's waaay too soon for Ichigo's birthday, I'll finish it in July." And then I prompty forgot I had written half of it until today. Oops. At least is complete. As for the rest of the prompts from IchiRuki Month last year... I'm gonna try to write them. I'm not sure if I'll finish them before August, but here's hoping I actually do it. They're 15, so let's see if one per day works out.

As always, I want to thank you so much for reviewing, following, reading and putting this collection on your favorites. Thank you for your support! I hope you enjoy this one-shot too! It's not set in an AU but it's neither Canon nor part of my own alternate timeline. It's just set in a world in which the characters didn't get royally effed up by their author.

See ya!

* * *

Through Your Eyes

 **Summary:** "You really don't see how you two look at each other?"

* * *

It was a typical day with his friends. That is to say that it wasn't typical. Not at all. In fact, it was pandemonium. His human friends weren't all that normal to begin with ─ and not _only_ because half of them had some type of supernatural power he hadn't yet grasped how they came to get, but since he, himself, was a weird combination of several beings that weren't supposed to exist, long ago he had decided to drop the subject ─ but paired up with his Shinigami friends, it was as if an asteroid had collided straight into a house party filled with drunk, drugged and hormonal teenagers shooting fireworks up from their asses. Wow. Studying literature had truly made him more hyperbolic.

In reality, what was happening was that word got out in Soul Society that Ichigo had just turned twenty (he blamed Renji for that one), which meant that he had reached the official legal drinking age, aka he was old enough now to get plastered with the lot of them. Not that Rangiku-san hadn't tried to get him drunk at some point. He still remembered that roughly a few days after turning eighteen, the older woman had spiked his otherwise non-assuming tea with sake. One sip and his face had become flustered as he stuttered and yelled bloody murder. The others thought it was funny. Ichigo was sure the situation would have escalated hadn't it been for a very pissed off Toshirou who had crashed their little reunion with the express intent of collecting his lieutenant. The whole place froze over faster than on the coldest of winter days.

But, now, Ichigo wasn't protected by neither the country's rules and regulations nor Toshirou's aid. ("Well it seems you're finally an adult, Kurosaki. Take care of Matsumoto for me." The young captain had told him briefly after congratulating him for his birthday. Ichigo didn't have the heart to point out he had been an adult for two years already, and that he had always looked older than Toshirou himself, even when he was only fifteen.) Rangiku, sanctioned by the Captain Commander, had taken advantage of this and had dragged her drunk buddies plus Rukia to Karakura, where she had basically trespassed into his room. The rambunctious group had asked him for the best bar in town. Ichigo had no idea where that could be and here's where he made the first mistake of the night.

He called Mizuiro.

His friend was older than him by about two months, and had been hitting the bars ever since. _It's the best way to meet ladies,_ he had explained. Though Ichigo was pretty sure he had been drinking since before his twentieth birthday. Now, though, Mizuiro, to his credit, did recommend them a nice place. It certainly didn't look as shady as the places the Shinigami tended to frequent. The problem in itself was that after giving him directions to get to the place, he had added a cryptic "See you in 20." And truth to his word, twenty minutes later, Mizuiro was at the bar… _with the whole gang_.

There was Keigo, who frankly already looked tipsy, Chad, as silent and calm as always, Tatsuki, who had just turned twenty as well two days before, Inoue and Ishida. Now, most of his friends were already twenty, except for Inoue and Ishida, who were the youngest ones, and weren't going to be twenty for a few more months. That didn't seem to matter to Mizuiro or the owners of the bar. Not that his friends were drinking alcohol or anything. Ishida was sipping what looked like a grey earl and Inoue was happy with her glass of lemonade. Tatsuki and Chad seemed happy with their beer pint. And Keigo and Mizuiro had gone all out, ordering two bottles of sake before they even could arrive. Rangiku-san's eyes sparkled after noticing this fact and declared Mizuiro was the best human in the world. The other Shinigami cheered in return and from then on things took a wild turn.

First of all, even though Keigo had had his eyes on Rangiku-san ever since he saw her about five years before, the flirty woman seemed enraptured in whatever tale Mizuiro was spinning. His friend was still very much attracted to older women, and who better than a woman that was more than a hundred years old and that didn't look a day past twenty five. That, of course, made Keigo insanely unhappy and had started to retell his woes to Hisagi-san, who was also not fairing any better at seeing a mere human flirt with the girl he had been after for _decades_. Needless to say, after a couple of sake shots, the two of them soon burst into tears and drunkenly sang their laments out loud. On the other side of the table, Ikkaku had become hell-bent on getting Chad drunk. He still couldn't believe the gentle giant hadn't once been drunk in his entire life, an outstanding feat for someone who got hammered almost daily right after work. He had, then, dared Chad to drink shot after shot of sake in the hopes he'd get more than a little tipsy. Tatsuki immediately jumped at the chance to defend her friend, her competitive streak appearing as she claimed Chad would never lose. This spiked Renji's interest, who immediately backed Ikkaku up on his dare. As for Yumichika, although he had declared early on that betting on alcohol was ugly, he still seemed pretty interested in the outcome. And so it began the worst competition ever, in which the rest managed to get wasted before the challenger could even complete his shots. Even Inoue and Ishida, who legally weren't _allowed_ to drink anything, had somehow gotten roped into the whole affair. He had certainly never heard Ishida laugh so loud ever. Inoue was also a sleepy drunk, who had ended up snoring on top of Chad, who, by some miracle, was still very much sober and still doing all of his shots.

Talk about a fucking nightmare.

The only thing that could have made this any worse was if, somehow, Kenpachi and Grimmjow crashed the place, wanting to fight him then and there now that he was a grown ass man. Or Byakuya suddenly appearing, claiming he stepped on his pride one way or another.

Thankfully, none of that happened, but his friends were embarrassing enough for him to dutifully brood in the only hidden corner of the table, nursing his half-full pint of beer. There was no way he would get drunk. The only other sober, and dare he say it, sane person in the table was Rukia. She had taken a couple of sips of sake, but despite her small stature, she had a high tolerance for alcohol. "That's what happens when you grow up in Inuzuri." She had once told him, smiling even when the memories must have been painful to her. Currently, the small Shinigami seemed more amused than she should've been at watching the mess their friends had created.

"Your friends are so lively." She suddenly said, in that annoying voice of hers.

Ichigo snorted. "I'd use another word for them." He answered and waited a few seconds until his mind processed the whole phrase. "Hey! Whaddaya mean _my_ friends?! They're yours too!"

Rukia just laughed at his accusation. "I suppose they are. Although they definitely didn't go all out for _my_ birthday."

Of course they didn't.

Byakuya would kill them all if they somehow got his precious sister drunk.

Besides, they preferred messing with him for whatever reason. Rukia had once told him it was because he was easy to annoy. Ironically, her comment had annoyed him. Not like he would ever tell her that, anyway. It would only rile her up, and give her more reasons to pester him.

Scooting closer to her, Ichigo took a sip of his drink and then turned to look at her. "Next year, let's do something fun."

She raised an elegant eyebrow at that. "For my birthday or yours?"

He made a show of considering it for a moment, before simply answering, "Both."

Rukia laughed at that, the sound tingling in his ears. Somehow, even with the loud music blasting from the speakers and their friends' boisterous laughter, he had heard her clearly, as if the only people in the world were Rukia and he.

"Greedy." She muttered as a reply.

"How's that greedy? I'd say it's rather generous."

"How so? Isn't that just an excuse to party twice?"

Ichigo shook his head, amused. "It wouldn't be a party. Just the two of us."

That got her attention. Rukia looked down, as her fingers fidgeted in her lap, and then right back at him. She bit her lip, as if contemplating something. Then her eyes darkened as she smiled coyly at him. "Oh? So you want me all to yourself, Kurosaki-kun~?" She said playfully, barely containing her own laughter.

"Tch." He grumbled. _What a tease_. "That's not what I meant and you know it."

"What did you mean, then?" She was unwilling to let all this matter go, not that Ichigo would give her the satisfaction of falling into her obvious trap.

"Well, it's just you don't really like parties that much, and to be honest they're not my scene either." He replied, gesturing at their table and the shenanigans their mutual friends were currently engaging in. Most were singing, very badly might he add, a birthday song for him.

Rukia giggled. "I suppose you're right."

"'sides, we hardly spend time with each other… just the two of us…like old times…"

Ever since the end of the Quincy War, there had been long periods of time in which he had hardly seen Rukia. And, make no mistake, Ichigo got it. He knew they were all busy picking up the pieces of their destroyed world, and trying to put it back together. In many ways, they were putting _themselves_ back together. The horrors they had all gone through were enough to traumatize even the most seasoned warriors. He had tried to help as best as he could, but there were many things he had to take care of himself, back home. With high school ending and his college life starting, and Rukia pretty much becoming the whole leader of her squad, there was not much time left to just hang out together. And he missed that. He missed their adventures or just casually being able to sit next to her. He loved all of his friends, sure, but there was something special about his relationship with Rukia, and nothing else could ever compare to it.

Sensing his distress, Rukia leaned closer. She searched for something deep within him, and when she found it, she breathed intently. "So you really want me all to yourself?" She said the words so lowly he couldn't have heard her with all the noise around them, but he _had_.

"Maybe…"

He left his words hanging as he stared right into her eyes. Under the bar's lighting, they seemed to glow and burn. It might have been his imagination, but Ichigo could have sworn she had gotten closer. From this position, her hair tickled his jaw in a way which made him shiver. Their breaths mingled together and the temperature in the room skyrocketed. He was suddenly very aware of his heart beating ferociously as he noticed Rukia licking her pink lips. He imitated the gesture, and it was then it dawned on him that, if he moved down just a little bit, they would kiss. The thought wasn't as frightening as he would have thought it to be. Had this been four years before, he would have pulled away immediately, denying what he was feeling in his very core. But Ichigo was no longer a boy. He was now a grown man, and he couldn't ignore the magnetic pull he felt where Rukia was involved. He saw her close her eyes and he followed suit, the connection between them not breaking even once. He leaned down and he felt her breaths come faster and then slower. He was so close he could already feel her softness and the taste of her─

"Kurosaki-kun!" Inoue shouted from the other side of the table, swaying side by side on her seat, her right armed wrapped around Ishida, her left on Chad. "Sing with us!" She exclaimed.

The spell broken, Ichigo sat up straighter, but didn't move far from Rukia. "No, absolutely not!" He refused his friend, praying they were far too long to see how red his cheeks looked. Next to him, Rukia also straightened.

"Too afraid to sing, Kurosaki?" Ishida taunted him, even though nobody could have taken him seriously, giving the fact his shirt was stained and his glasses were in disarray.

"Shut up." Ichigo retorted without much bite.

Renji cackled. "He knows he can't win against us!"

"Let's show him!" Ikkaku exclaimed.

Next thing they knew, they were all singing again, except for Chad, who remained impassive, Keigo, who had long since passed out, and Mizuiro, who was recording the whole affair. Ichigo would have liked to feel mad at them, but he knew he couldn't. At the end of the day, no matter how embarrassing they all were, his friends wanted to see him happy. That's why they were celebrating his birthday to begin with. Next to him, Rukia chuckled at them and her laughter was contagious. Soon he joined in, followed by the whole table, his friends erupting in laughter all around him, even Chad cracked a smile.

To no one's surprise, they were soon asked to leave the place when their impromptu singing competition got too out of hand. The chore of extracting their drunk friends and getting them home safely fell to them. Thankfully, Urahara had let the Shinigami crash in his store. The man had probably had a hand in orchestrating the party to begin with, so Ichigo had no qualms in dumping five wasted death gods at his doorstep. They were his problem now.

Now the problem was that they had to get his human friends to their respective homes.

"I'll get Inoue and Arizawa home." Rukia told them.

"You sure?" Ichigo asked her, feeling worried.

"It's no problem. I've got this." Behind her, Inoue and Tatsuki were giggling as they held each other. It seemed like a pain, but perhaps Rukia was already used to dealing with drunk people on a daily basis.

"Alright. Chad and I'll get the rest home."

With that said, they separated, Rukia gently pushing the girls in the direction of Inoue's apartment, Chad carrying Keigo in his arms, while Ichigo put Ishida's arm around his shoulder and helped him walk. The journey was mostly silent except for Mizuiro typing on his phone and Ishida saying nonsense.

"Oi! How come you're not that drunk?" He turned to his friend.

"Hmm?" Mizuiro muttered, blinking away from his phone. "I don't get drunk that easily. I just _pretend_ to be wasted so that the others keep drinking too."

Ichigo got goosebumps after listening to those words. "Man, you're scary."

The young man only smirked at him. "Well, my apartment's that way. See ya."

"Hey! You're not gonna let Keigo crash with you?!"

"Nope. Happy birthday, Ichigo!"

Happy birthday his ass.

Groaning, he nodded to Chad and they decided to continue forward, in the direction of Ishida's place. Thankfully, nothing remarkable happened on the way, except for his friend tripping once or twice. Using the spare keys Ishida had given him at one point, ("In case you mess up and need my help," as he had told him) they went in and left the former Quincy sleeping on his bed. Sighing, he turned to look at Keigo, whom Chad was still carrying. _Only one more_.

The two friends resumed walking, this time towards where Keigo lived. Ichigo thought it wouldn't be any different to all the other times he had walked beside Chad. There was always an amiable silence engulfing them, one Ichigo rejoiced in as his life was often more chaotic than not. Chad brought him this peace, not only because he was a quiet person himself, but because he understood all the disturbances Ichigo faced day by day. This time, however, Chad was the one to speak first.

"You really don't see it, huh?" He wondered out loud, his voice resounding in the empty street.

"Don't see what?" Ichigo asked, thinking that there was danger looming all around them.

"You really don't see how you two look at each other?" Chad tried again, this time looking at Ichigo.

Bewildered, he blinked once, then twice. "Huh?" He said at last. "Who do you mean?"

"Kuchiki and you."

"Oh."

Silence was present once again, as Ichigo mulled over his thoughts.

"I've been observing you two for years." Chad said, not pausing to let his friend speak. "At first, I was intrigued by your relationship with her. You're not the type to open up to people in such a short amount of time, then again, you act different when it comes to her. You don't treat her like you treat Arizawa or Inoue, or even your sisters. And then, when we went to Soul Society to save her, I think I finally understood."

That made the two stop walking. Ichigo did not know what to say. He couldn't deny what Chad was saying, because all of it was true. Yet, he didn't know where he was going with this. What was it he wasn't seeing?

"Through the years, I've wondered if you were aware of how you look at her when you think no one's watching. Your eyes acquire this softness, as if she's the most precious thing in the world. You're soft with her. You smile tenderly at her only. Your eyes just light up when she's next to you. Even when you fight, you end up looking at her in that same way."

Chad's words flustered him. He hadn't thought he had been that obvious. No one had pointed it out before. His other friends could have used this knowledge as an opportunity to pester him, to embarrass him and admit things he didn't wish to, and yet, they still hadn't said a thing. Even his father had remained silent on this matter. Only now Chad was confronting him. For whatever purpose, Ichigo didn't know, but he felt as if he needed to explain himself.

"I…"

"And you don't even notice she looks at you in the same way."

Ichigo stopped dead on his tracks and looked at Chad, wide eyed.

"Kuchiki's more difficult to read, but I can see it. She's just like you. Hard around the edges, but soft and tender on the inside. You bring out that tenderness. She looks at you as if she's seeing the sun for the first time after a long winter. You can see how proud she is of you by how her lips curl up in a smile when she's watching you. Even when she's annoyed at you, the fire gives way to warmth. It's like ice melting. And it only happens when she looks at you."

He felt like he had stopped breathing, his throat drying. Was that how it was? He had never noticed, too preoccupied with _looking_ at her, just taking in her overall presence, that he had forgotten to actually _look_ at all the little details. Ichigo had never been the most observant, as his friends could attest, but now even he felt like an idiot for missing something as momentous as this. For how long had this been going on? Another part of himself, the darkest, most self-deprecating part, wanted to argue that this couldn't possibly be true. That Rukia would never look at him in a special way. Surely, he would have seen it.

"But Ren─"

"It still amazes me how neither of you has noticed." Chad interrupted him before continuing down that path. " _All_ of us know."

"What?!"

"Possibly even most of the Shinigami you've met."

That left him gaping.

"While you two are clueless… Well, maybe not so clueless anymore." Chad said as he scratched his beard. "You almost kissed tonight after all."

Ichigo's cheeks somehow grew redder. "You saw that, huh?"

"It was impossible not to see. I was sitting right in front of you."

His words made him feel sheepish. "Sorry 'bout that."

"Don't apologize. I've been waiting for some progress all these years."

He sputtered. "Chad!" He yelped, feeling beyond embarrassed.

"Ichigo." Chad called him, now growing serious.

"Yeah?"

"I haven't said anything because I thought you'd sort it out eventually, but this has been going on for far too long and it's bordering on being absurd."

Ichigo laughed at that. Way to put it bluntly.

"I just… I'm scared, y'know? That it won't work out. That it's not what Rukia wants…"

"Believe me, she wants it. And after everything you've gone through together, I think it'll work."

"Alright, I'll see what I can do."

"Good, now go home." Chad said, motioning towards the direction of his house.

"Wait, what? Don't you want me to go with you?"

"No. I can handle this." The man said. "And Kuchiki is nearing your house, you should probably go to her."

Ichigo sighed, finally relaxing. "I'll go then."

His friend grunted, returning to his silent self, and continued walking with Keigo in his arms, still blissfully unaware of everything that had happened.

"Oh, and Chad?"

The man turned around.

"Thanks for the pep talk."

"No problem."

Waving Chad goodbye, Ichigo walked on the opposite direction, when he started running. He didn't know why but feeling Rukia's reiatsu flowing so close to him, spurred him on to go to her as fast as he could. He found her halfway, eyes widening at seeing his disheveled state.

"Is everything okay?" She asked, standing close to him, possibly to inspect his body for potential injuries. It was in that moment that he saw exactly what Chad had told him before.

He shook his head, laughing a little. "Yeah… I was just in a rush to get home."

Rukia chuckled, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. They never lost their warmth.

"Then we should go."

"Yeah. We should."

They stared into each other's eyes for a full minute, an inexplicable message passing between them. Satisfied, they pulled away and started walking back home, their hands brushing with each step they took.

"Happy birthday, Ichigo." Rukia suddenly told him, bumping her shoulder with his.

"Thanks, Rukia." He answered, his hand reaching to grab hers. She didn't pull away.

With their fingers entwined, they finally went home.

* * *

 **A/N:** Originally this one-shot was going to be sexier, however I forgot exactly what I wanted to write, and went with the fluffy route. Hope you approve of that. As for Chad, I know he barely talks BUT he gives speeches usually when it comes to his abuelo or if they're about or for Ichigo. I've been wondering how Chad saw the IR relationship, as he's very observant, and he's also one of the few who really understands Ichigo, so this was my take on it. I insist that Chad trying to distract Ichigo of his grief about Ishida on the last arc, by basically saying "Ichigo, go look at Orihime's boobs" was distasteful. I know Chad and Orihime grew close, but maaaan, what a way to force such a one-sided relationship, especially when the result was a rejection lmao.

Anyway, rant over!


	47. Once Upon A Time

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** So, I should've known before promising one prompt from last year per day before August as it's almost the first day of August where I live and, no doubt, it's August already where some of you guys live. *sighs* I'll apologize again, but I've been uninspired and also my family was visiting and since I won't be seeing some of them during winter break, I wanted to spend as much time with them as possible. Also, I finally finished my MFA, so it means more time for writing.

As for this one-shot, it's been kicking my ass for forever. If you've been following my Tumblr, I've been asking for strength to finish a fanfic, and, you guessed it, it's this one. Now, before I talked about a fanfiction I never completed which was the basis of "The Fairest of Them All," well, it's this one. I rebooted it and the plot is different but, in essence, it's the same. I genuinely thought that if the plot of the fictional story Ichigo was suppossed to tell his kids was simpler, it would be easier to write. Well, as it turnes out I got stuck with this prompt for almost a whole ass year. BUT it's finally done! So I really hope you enjoy it!

Tomorrow I'll see if I can make a double update, as I've already written the following prompt. But, we'll see.

Thanks again for all of your support! I'm happy you've been enjoying my works so far!

Also, Happy IchiRuki Month, everyone!

See ya!

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **Bleach power:** Thank you very much! Right? Chad was always the chosen one to have this conversation. We need more Chad in fanfiction in general.

* * *

Once Upon A Time

 **Prompt:** fairytales for death gods

 **Summary:** Ichigo's attempts to tell a fairytale to his kids are thwarted by Rukia's interventions.

* * *

"Daddy, daddy!" Mamoru called to him from his bed.

Ichigo sat down next to his son. "What is it?"

"Tells us a story!" Mamoru demanded with pleading eyes, exactly like his mother's.

"Stowy please!" A second voice added. It belonged to Hikari, his two year old daughter, who was starting to say short sentences.

The father smiled. "Okay, but it's gonna be a short one and after that, you're gonna sleep, alright?" The kids nodded as he sat down next to them. The two scooted over on each side of him, almost sitting on his lap. Ichigo chuckled and ruffled their hair. As both children laughed, he pondered. "What kind of story do you want to hear?"

"A story about adventure!" Mamoru said animatedly.

"A pwincess!" Hikari interjected, moving her hands wildly.

"A princess? No way!" The boy said, crossing his arms. His sister pouted and gave him the saddest eyes she could muster. "Okay, _fine_!"

Ichigo laughed. "Alright, alright. So adventure and a princess, huh? I have just the story for that."

"Really?" Mamoru asked with wide, violet eyes.

"Really. Now settle down." He said, getting more comfortable as the kids lay their tiny heads on his lap. "Once upon a time─"

"Wow. You're starting with that phrase?" A voice said mockingly from the door.

Ichigo looked up and found his wife. He glared at her. "Well, yeah. That's how all great stories start." He grumbled.

Rukia chuckled as she made her way to the bed and sat next to her son, pulling him to her lap, her shoulder touching Ichigo's. "Well, I want to hear it too."

He looked worriedly at her. "You're not too tired?"

"No. Why? Getting worried?" She said playfully, flicking his nose.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Fine."

"Stowy?" Hikari asked, looking at both adults with an annoyed expression.

"Yeah! When are you gonna start with the story!" Mamoru complained, crossing his arms and pouting with his sister.

The father picked the girl and put her on his lap, similar to how her brother was sitting on their mother's lap. Once they were settled, Ichigo tried again. "As I was saying before being so rudely interrupted─"

"Hey!" Rukia complained but was completely ignored.

"Once upon a time, in a very faraway land, there lived a princess by the name of … erm…" He gestured towards his wife, unable to come up with a name.

"Kia." She said seriously.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Kia?" He mouthed incredulously.

"Yes. That was her name, right dear?" She said in a tone of voice which admitted no refusals.

"Fine. Princess _Kia_ was her name and she lived in a castle made of gold, from which she couldn't escape." He kept retelling.

"How was pwincess?" Hikari asked.

"Yeah! Describe her!" Mamoru prompted.

"Well, she was beautiful and kind and smart." Ichigo described her. "She was also incredibly short." Rukia snorted at that. "And lonely."

The kids gasped.

"Why was she lonely?" Asked Mamoru.

"Because she had an ass─" An elbow to the ribcage. He coughed. "Er… I mean, a very mean older brother who kept her as a prisoner in the golden castle."

The little boy frowned. "Older brothers shouldn't do that." He stated.

Ichigo smiled proudly at him and gently ruffled his hair. "Exactly. But Kia's brother wasn't a good older brother─"

"─He was a _misunderstood_ older brother." Rukia added for him, smiling innocently at her husband.

"Um, excuse me, spoiler alert!" He exclaimed, scandalized. "That was supposed to go later on in the story!"

"I just didn't want the kids to get the wrong idea about him." She defended herself.

"That was the point!" Ichigo complained, exasperated already by his wife.

They would have continued arguing if Mamoru hadn't gotten fed up with their stalling. "Can you continue, please?" The little boy said, annoyance dripping from his voice in a way that was too familiar for his parents.

Ichigo coughed. "Right. Well, Princess Kia remained inside the castle for many years. But she was nothing short _(ha! Get it!)_ of perseverant. So, one day, when her older brother wasn't looking, she managed to escape through a back door, and went away unnoticed."

"Where she go?" Hikari asked, turning around to stare at him with eyes that matched his own.

"To a small, dingy town." Rukia answered matter-of-factly.

"It was better than that." Ichigo retorted.

"How would you describe it, then?"

" _Picturesque_."

That gained him another snort.

"And what was there?" Mamoru asked before his parents had the chance of getting side-tracked again.

"It wasn't really about what was there." The father began explaining. "It was more about the experience of finally being able to escape her prison. Everything in the town, from the houses, the market, the streets, the _people_ , was so different from everything Kia had known inside the castle. It was as if she was experiencing the world for the first time." The children watched him silently, eyes focusing solely on him, as if nothing else mattered to them. "The princess walked around the town, taking everything in. A kind old lady gave her an apple to eat. Later, a man gifted her a necklace as the jewels on it matched her eyes, which were neither blue nor violet. Finally, Kia found two children in the town square, and she began playing with them. After a day filled with fun, nighttime soon came. That was when she realized she had nowhere to sleep."

"Oh no!" Mamoru exclaimed, making his parents chuckle.

"Pwincess okay?" Hikari asked, tears already filling her eyes.

"Kia believed she would have to sleep on the cold, empty streets, when, suddenly, she met a tall, dark stranger by the name of─"

"Berry." Rukia interrupted him again.

"Berry? Seriously Rukia?"

"Would you have preferred Chigo perhaps?"

For some odd reason, the name Chigo sounded familiar to Ichigo. He couldn't pinpoint where he had heard it before, but somehow he got chills just thinking about it. "Berry it is." He conceded, much to Rukia's delight.

"I wike it!" Hikaru said excitedly as she clapped her hands. It was good their two kids were still too young to know English words, otherwise they might have complained about the terrible name choice and the more than obvious connection to someone they knew quite well.

"Who was Berry?" Mamoru questioned him, enraptured by the tale.

"Berry was a hero. He was strong, smart, brave and dashing if I say so myself." With each adjective, little Mamoru's eyes sparkled more and more.

"He was also very stubborn and kind of a dork." Rukia mentioned. "Not cool at all."

"We'll see about that." Ichigo grumbled. "Anyway, Berry was patrolling the streets─"

"Why?" He was interrupted by Mamoru this time.

"Because," and then he paused for added effect, "there were bandits around town and Berry was in charge of catching them." Both children gasped. "At first, he believed Kia was one of them or, at the very least, a thief, for she was a lone figure in the dark. He sneaked up behind her and easily caught her in his arms. Then─"

"Princess Kia, who knew martial arts, kicked him and left him gasping for air on the floor. She wasn't a damsel in distress but a heroine too."

This seemed to please Mamoru as he nodded with glee. "I like her!"

Rukia grinned down at her son. "I know. She's cool. Much cooler than Berry, don't you think?" While Hikari quickly agreed on this, Mamoru thought about it.

"I dunno. I like Berry too!"

Ichigo smirked. "And you'd be right in liking him, because he recuperated form the blow fast and was on his feet in a flash. When he stood up, he noticed Kia was not a common thief but a lady. He asked her if she was alright and if she needed any help, when Kia burst crying."

"She did _not_!"

"No?"

"No! She calmly told him she had no place to stay for the night."

"Right." Ichigo said dryly. "Anyway, Berry, gallantly, offered her a place to stay in his house. Kia─"

"Refused because you shouldn't follow strangers to their houses. You don't know what may happen to you. If a stranger asks you to follow them, run."

He stared at her face with an _are you serious_ look. Instead of correcting her, Ichigo decided to keep going. "But Berry could be trusted as he was a _hero_. He knew right away Kia was from out of town and was determined to help her. He attempted to convince her to go, at the very least, to the house of a friend he trusted, when they were ambushed by a bandit."

Even Rukia seemed surprised by that revelation, but smiled along the children, who were getting more and more invested in the story.

"Together, they fought and managed to catch the criminal. They acted like a team and were victorious because of it. Then, Kia went with Berry to the police station, where they threw the bandit in a cell."

"That is when Kia realized Berry was a good man and that she could trust him."

"So Berry took the princess to his house. They introduced themselves, but Kia hid her true identity from him. Although, Berry knew there was something she was keeping from him, he didn't push it. He knew there were some secrets people didn't want to share, and he decided he'd wait until she was ready to tell him." Ichigo said, staring pointedly at his wife.

"And then what happened?" Mamoru asked yet again.

"Well, Kia noticed that Berry needed help with catching criminals and all, so she decided to help him out."

"And almost gave him a heart attack for being so reckless." Ichigo muttered in a chiding tone.

Rukia scoffed. "As if Berry is one to talk, always getting hurt one way or another to save her."

"Berry would have died if anything had happened to Kia." He retorted. "Besides, it's not as if the princess wasn't grateful."

That gained him a disarming smile. "She was… she _is_."

"So they lived happily ever after catching bandits?" Mamoru wondered, while Hikari nodded and clapped her hands.

"Happy, happy!" She chanted.

"Well, no." The father answered. "Unknown to the both of them, a storm was brewing."

The two children gasped.

"Kia and Bewy okay?" Hikari asked, peering at him.

"For the time being they were fine. However, Kia's brother, the king, had found out she had escaped from the golden castle. He was not pleased, and had set out to find her along with his monkey companion, Renjo."

"Seriously, Ichigo? _Renjo_?" Rukia said, as a frown settled on her lips.

"It's my story and I will choose all names, so yes, _Renjo_."

"Hey, doesn't that sound kinda like Uncle─"

"Monkwey! Monkwey!" The little girl interrupted her brother much to Ichigo's relief.

"Yes, so the king and the monkey traveled far and wide until they found the town in which Berry and Kia lived. They heard stories of the famous hero who saved the people from bandits along his very smart and strong companion. The description of Berry's partner matched that of the princess, so the king and Renjo knew they had found her at last."

"No!" Mamoru blurted out. "I don't want them to find her!"

"No take pwincess!" Hikari exclaimed, already pouting.

Rukia looked at them sadly. "Yes, they had found her, but Kia was aware they were in town. She planned to escape far away, as to not trouble Berry. She didn't want him to get hurt because of her, so she left in the middle of the night."

"Why didn't she ask Berry for help?"

"Yeah, Rukia, why didn't she just ask him to help her out?"

The woman sighed. "Because Berry had already given her so much more than she had known in life. His kindness, his bravery, his loyalty… Each time he got hurt because of her, she died a little inside. It wasn't Berry's responsibility to take care of her. Kia didn't want him to get into more trouble because of her. The least she could do to repay his kindness and hospitality was to leave him before her brother and Renjo could find them. She knew that her brother wouldn't take too kindly to finding her with a man."

"Not that it mattered in the end, because of course Berry realized Kia was nowhere in sight, and went out to find her."

Mamoru clapped at that. "Yeah! He's gonna save her!"

"Not quite." Ichigo said. "Because as Princess Kia was escaping, the two found her. Of course, she didn't want to go with them, and she fought with all her might. But─"

"But her strength wasn't enough and they captured her." Rukia continued on with the story. "They were about to take her back to her kingdom, when Berry suddenly appeared and began fighting them."

"Berry fought valiantly and managed to defeat the monkey. Yet, the king proved to be a formidable opponent, for he was strong, far stronger than anyone Berry had fought before. After a long fight, Berry got defeated."

"No! Bewy no hurt!" Hikari cried.

"They can't defeat Berry! He's invincible!" Mamoru added.

Their father shook his head. "He wasn't invincible. Berry was still young and needed to learn a lot about fighting. The king was a seasoned warrior who knew how to fight better than Berry. He got too cocky and that was why he lost. Still, he begged for Kia not to go."

"But Kia, who didn't want him to get even more hurt, told him she was going and begged him to stay down." Rukia continued with the story, her eyes turning sad.

"You have no idea how much it hurt Berry to be protected by her when Kia was the one who needed to be saved." Ichigo said, more to his wife than to his children.

"And you don't know how much the guilt was tearing her heart apart. If anything serious had happened to Berry, she would have never been able to forgive herself."

After listening to those words, Ichigo took her hand and dropped a kiss on her knuckles. "He would've fought every day of his life just to keep her safe by his side. Getting hurt, bleeding, dying, he didn't care as long as she was safe and smiling. All he ever wanted was for her to be happy."

"And she would've fought just as hard for him to be safe and happy as well."

The children weren't aware of the true meaning behind their parents' words, but they somehow felt that there was something far deeper they couldn't grasp the meaning of.

"So, did Berry die?" Mamoru asked, fear lacing his voice.

On Ichigo's lap, Hikari trembled, about to cry. The father shook his head, gently dropping a kiss on the girl's forehead to calm her down. "Of course not. Berry was too tough to die just like that. It also helped that a man wearing green robes and a green hat saved him and brought him back to health."

Mamoru sighed in relief and Hikari grinned. "Bewy lives!"

"That's right. And after being healed, the man told him what had happened, that Kia was actually the princess of a faraway kingdom, and that by escaping she had committed treason against the crown. The man also told him that, because of her actions, Kia was sentenced to be executed."

Mamoru pouted. "That's not fair! She was just trying to be happy!"

"My thoughts exactly." Ichigo nodded. "In any case, Berry got angry, because he knew no one who deserved to be live more than Kia. So, he formed a team made up of a magician, a fairy, a giant and a talking black cat to go and save her."

"A cat?" Hikari asked, her eyes shining. The little girl had a thing for cats, much to Byakuya's dismay.

"Yeah, sweetie, a cat." Her father answered. "A cat that could talk. Though the real trick was getting her to shut up." He told them, as he winked. "The five traveled for a long time until they reached the kingdom. In the distance, they could see the golden castle, where Kia was being held prisoner."

"Meanwhile," Rukia continued on with the story, "the princess was once again locked up inside the highest tower of the golden castle. She knew she had made a mistake and was waiting to be punished, when she heard news that Berry had come to rescue her."

Mamoru cheered at that. "He's gonna save her!"

"Well, it was easier said than done." Ichigo replied. "Before getting to where Kia was, Berry and his friends had to defeat all of the king's guards first."

The little boy scoffed. "Berry will defeat them all!"

His father chuckled. "It wasn't that simple. The guards were the best of warriors out there, more experienced than Berry and his friends. But, do you want to know what they were missing?" Both kids shook their heads. "Resolve. Berry's biggest wish was to save Kia, and that wish helped him win time and time again."

"But with each victory, Kia's heart grew weary, hating how Berry would get hurt for her sake. She worried that, one day, Berry would fail." Rukia explained, a sad smile adorning her face.

Mamoru didn't agree with his mother. "But he can't fail! He's a hero!"

"Hewo! Hewo!" Hikari said, nodding fiercely.

"And he didn't. Because with each fight, Berry grew stronger." It was Ichigo's turn to retell the story. "Failing wasn't an option, and so, just when the day for Kia's execution arrived, he was ready to face his biggest enemy: the _king_."

Ichigo took a deep breath before continuing, observing as the kids were enthralled with the story, so much they couldn't take their eyes away from him. "The king and all the nobles waited until the guards brought Princess Kia to stand before the phoenix that would kill her with his fire. But they didn't know that, among the crowd, Berry was waiting, bidding his time until he could strike."

"Kia didn't know either. She walked proudly towards her executor, holding her head high. She looked at her brother and silently thanked him for giving her all she could've ever needed. Then, she thought of Berry and prayed he had managed to leave, unhurt. Closing her eyes, she waited for all of it to be over, thanking Berry for everything. When, suddenly, she didn't feel the bite of fire. Opening her eyes, she saw Berry standing in front of her, protecting her from the phoenix with his sword."

"Berry had jumped just in time to stop the phoenix, and with his sword, he cut it in half." Ichigo explained.

The children cheered and clapped their hands upon hearing this turn of events.

"But it wasn't over yet. The guards were ready to attack them, but thankfully Berry's friends and other people he'd met in the kingdom, who were now his allies, stopped the guards from reaching them. Berry left the princess with the monkey, who'd seen the error of his ways and was willing to protect Kia, and then he went straight to the king. The king and Berry fought hard with all their might. Although the king was stronger, he couldn't defeat Berry."

"Why?" Mamoru asked.

"Because the power in Berry's hand was gained for Kia's sake."

The phrase caused several reactions. Mamoru hollered, eyes sparkling, no doubt already thinking of the fictional Berry as his favorite hero. Hikari, the youngest, didn't quite grasp the implications of what her father had just said, but she felt something stir inside her as she clapped along with her older brother. And Rukia's reaction, perhaps, was Ichigo's favorite. Her eyes widened and then began shining with unshed tears. Her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink, and then she smiled at him. A true smile.

"Fool." She mouthed, least their children would hear her.

Ichigo grinned triumphantly at her before continuing with his story. "So, no matter how hard the king attacked, it wasn't enough. It was never enough. Berry, using all of his strength, lunged forward and finally defeated the king, who fell on the floor. The king sighed heavily and then asked Berry why he had gone through so much trouble to save Kia."

"Cause he loves her." Mamoru answered before his father could continue.

"What?" He asked his son, dumbfounded.

The little boy rolled his eyes playfully. "Well, it's obvious Berry loves Kia. He wouldn't have gone through all of that if he didn't love her. Oh, and Kia loves him too, duh."

The parents blinked before chuckling and then downright laughing so hard tears streamed down their faces.

"What?" Mamoru said, clearly confused about what was so funny.

"Obvious, you say?" Ichigo said out loud.

"You'd be surprised." Rukia added, still chuckling. She then gently pinched her son's cheek. "My boy's so smart. Mommy's proud."

The boy beamed at her. "So, Berry told the king he loved Kia?"

"Wove! Wove!"

The father chuckled. "No, even if you think it's obvious, neither Berry nor Kia knew that _yet_. So Berry didn't tell him that. In fact, he didn't answer him. The real reason was that he wanted to see Kia smile once again. He'd hated seeing her crying and didn't want her to cry ever again. Instead, he brought Kia to her brother and demanded the king explain himself. The king sighed heavily and said he had never wanted Kia to get hurt."

"It turned out Kia wasn't really the king's sister." Rukia explained. "Long ago, the king had defied all nobles to marry a peasant. The girl had a baby sister the king adopted as his sister, once again going against the nobles. After that, he promised he would never break a rule again, thinking the three would live happily ever after. However, although they lived a few years in bliss, the new queen fell sick. She died not long after and the king promised her he would always protect Kia."

"So, to make sure nothing would ever happen to her, the king had decided to lock her up in a tower. He feared he would lose her if she was free to do as she pleased. He didn't realize his actions had pushed Kia away from him until she escaped."

"The rules of the kingdom said that the princess should not leave the kingdom, or there would be a severe punishment. The king had wanted to protect Kia, but his earlier promise to never break the rules stood in the way. He hadn't known what to do to save her until Berry arrived and showed him his sister was more valuable than any rule."

"Of course!" Mamoru replied. "Little sisters matter more than anything in the world!" He exclaimed before gently pulling his own sister towards him. Hikari squealed and eagerly returned the hug. The parents smile at their children.

"Damn right." Ichigo whispered. "It was a lesson the king needed to learn, and from that moment onwards, he let Kia live the life she wanted for herself, while protecting her as best as he could."

"Kia was forever grateful to Berry for saving her and for making her relationship with her brother improve."

"And Berry was grateful that Kia had changed his world."

Ichigo and Rukia locked eyes and smiled at each other. They would have continued to do so if their children hadn't interrupted them once more.

"And Berry and Kia got married and lived happily ever after!" Mamoru said.

"Happy! Happy!"

Their father shook his head. "Well, _no_. Kia remained for a while in her own kingdom while Berry returned to the town in which he lived. Occasionally, Kia would come back and she and Berry would go on more adventures together. Time passed in this way, until they were a little older and then…"

"And then Berry asked Kia to marry him. They did so and had children of their own, while still living amazing adventures."

"And so, together, they lived happily ever after─"

"The end." The two said together, once more locking eyes.

The children cheered in response. "That's what I wanted." Mamoru said, sleepily. "All I wanted was for them to be together."

"Towether." Hikari said as sleepily, while she rubbed her eyes.

"Well, they are, until the end of time." Ichigo told them.

"Time to sleep." Rukia whispered, carrying Mamoru to his futon and tucking him in. Ichigo did the same with Hikari and soon both kids were fast sleep.

"Goodnight, my loves." The mother said, before gently kissing their foreheads.

"Sweet dreams." Her husband said, imitating her and kissing the children goodnight.

Holding hands, they left the room and went to their own bedroom, where they lay down, ready to go to sleep.

"That was a wonderful story." Rukia told him, kissing him softly. "You're a good storyteller."

"Only because your input made it better." Ichigo answered.

She grinned at him. "Aren't you happy you have such a creative wife?"

"Oh, I'm incredibly blessed. Believe me." He said as he pulled her close to his chest, his hands resting on her belly. "How are you feeling, though? Did these little guys give you a lot of trouble?"

Rukia shook her head. "They were oddly still. Probably listening intently to your story."

"So boring it lulled them to sleep?" He joked.

"How can your story be boring when it's _our_ story?"

Ichigo smiled at her and then kissed her. "You're right. It can't be."

They grew silent, each deep in thought as they stared at the ceiling.

"One day we'll have to tell them the true story. To the _four_ of them."

He nodded as he gently rubbed his wife's belly, where their twins had begun moving. "I know. But it can wait. Meanwhile, I can tell them this story again."

"Oh I'm sure they're going to ask for it again."

Ichigo laughed. "Hope I can remember all the details, including the names."

"Yeah, 'cause they're so difficult to remember. Like _Renjo_."

"You gotta admit that was a stroke of brilliance."

"Careful, Ichigo. If Renji finds out, he's gonna beat your ass."

Said man scoffed. "It'd be a cold day in hell when Renji manages to win against me."

Rukia laughed. "You're so cocky."

"And that's one of the many reasons you love me."

She wasn't able to deny that.

They fell in a comfortable silence once more. Ichigo was about to close his eyes when Rukia nudged him.

"Hey Ichigo?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"For what?" He turned to look at her, not understanding what she meant.

"For _everything_."

"Che. That's my line."

* * *

 **A/N:** So basically Ichigo told his kids an abridge version of how he fell in love for their mom, lol.

The name "Chigo" mentioned here refers to a filler episode in which it's basically the events of the SS Arc but Arabian Nights style. Ichigo is "Chigo" and Rukia is "Ruki-Ruki." She also cries when he saves her, and that's also partially referenced here. It turned out that in the end it was a dream Isane was having thanks to a fish paste she had eaten.

I also couldn't resist naming Renji's character "Renjo." Ichigo thinks he's being slick lmao.

Also, yes, they're having a set of twins next because why not.

To be honest I'm not 100% happy with how this turned out, but it's honestly the best I could write. Now, although tomorrow is IR Month, I'm not going to be publishing tomorrow's prompt. I'll try to finish the whopping 14 prompts from last year I'm missing and then I'll continue with the ones from this year. It means I'm gonna extend IR Month until October, probably. Lucky all of you.

Anyway, hope you liked it!

Here's the timeline in case anyone was confused:

1\. "What I Want Most" ─ set during those 17 months apart.

2\. "The Six of Hearts" ─ set during the final battle.

3\. "Not Over Yet" ─ set two years after the battle.

4\. "Connected" ─ set a month after #3, lasts around three months overall.

5\. "Warm By The Beach" ─ set 6 years after the final battle, 4 years of relationship.

6\. "More Than Fate" ─ set 8 years after the final battle, 6 years of relationship.

7\. "I'll Spend The Rest of My Life" ─ set a few months after #6, on May.

8\. "A Lifetime By Your Side" ─ set a week after #7, 10 years after the very beginning of Bleach.

9\. "I Call Your Name" ─ set exactly two months after # 7.

10\. "Death & Strawberry" ─ set 10 years after the final battle, 8 years of relationship, 2 years after they got married.

11\. The ending of "What I Want Most" ─ set 14 years after the final battle, 12 years of relationship, 5 years of marriage. Mamoru is five and Hikari 2 1/2.

12\. "Once Upon A Time" ─ around the same time as #11, perhaps a bit earlier.


	48. Winter's Fragrance

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** So, it's officially IR Month where I live. Also, as promised, here's another update. This time a drabble inspired by one of my favorite Bleach poems.

Hope you all like it!

I'll hopefully update again tonight.

See ya!

* * *

Winter's Fragrance

 **Prompt:** any bleach poem

 **Summary:** Ichigo misses Rukia the most in winter.

* * *

 _Winter's fragrance_

 _Brings memories…_

 _Of that day, that time,_

 _And those eyes._

* * *

Ichigo misses her all year.

He misses her in the spring, as soft breeze passes through the tree leaves, reminding him of her laughter. He misses her when a new school year starts, and she's nowhere to be seen, the seat next to his own empty. He misses her when the blooming sakura trees make him remember that time when she showed him around her brother's state and she told him that she'd show him how beautiful the garden would look like come spring ─he never got to see it. He misses her when he sips another juice box. He misses her when the flowers blooming all around him are the same shade as her eyes. He misses her when rain, the untamable rain, chills him to the bone and she's not there to make it go away. He misses her when the anniversary of the day they met comes and goes and there's not even a whisper of her silhouette dancing around town.

He misses her during the summer, when all the girls start wearing yutaka and he has glimpses of another goodbye, so long ago, a vision of her form wearing a purple one. He misses her when all his friends make plans on how to spend their break, and she's not around to participate. He misses her when Don Kanonji hosts another show in Karakura, and he finds himself remembering all the times she would annoy him just to get a rise out of him. He misses that. All their arguments. Even the way she hit him. The fire in her eyes scorching him like the unrelenting sun above him. He could very well wish to be set ablaze like the punishment he had saved her from if only to see her again. But she doesn't come. She doesn't stand on the windowsill of his classroom looking at him so intently that he feels as if all breath has escaped his lungs.

He misses her in fall too. He misses her as the semester drags on and the holidays seem so far away. He misses her as he looks out of his window and sees the big, round October moon illuminating the sky. He wonders if she's seeing it too. If by some cosmic coincidence both are staring outside wishing to meet again. He misses her when the leaves fall down and everything is dying around him. He feels dead too, sometimes. And the color of the leaves reminds him of Kon, and he wonders how he's doing, if he's keeping her company, if they are out there remembering him as much as he remembers them. He misses her when horror manga is suddenly outselling all the others, and he finds himself buying one and storing it in his drawer for when she comes back. But as the nights grow longer, he realizes she's not coming back anytime soon. The thought chills him to the bone.

Ichigo misses Rukia the most in winter, though. He misses her when the air starts getting too cold, and it makes him shiver in such a way he feels as if he has sensed her. He misses her the first time it snows, when he notices how beautiful the landscape is, like her sword, like her soul, like her whole being. He misses her when all around there are Christmas decorations and he thinks she would have enjoyed the festivities. He opens his closet to pull out more blankets and he finds himself staring at it. He reminisces every moment spent here, in his room. All gone now, like the wind blowing away the last few leaves left on the trees. But it is when the anniversary of the day they said goodbye comes around, that Ichigo finds himself missing her the most. He remembers that day. His powers slowly but surely fading away. Her presence, being blow, blown away from him. He goes out and everything looks the same, feels the same. He stands outside his father's clinic and there's something in the air that makes everything come back to him. Her figure, in front of him. The wind blowing. The fragrance of winter in the air. He shivers. And then he looks into those violet eyes, lingering, longing, longing for words neither say. Then she's gone. Gone forever. It finally sets in that a whole year has gone by, and Rukia has yet to come visit him.

The days grow colder after that.

* * *

 **A/N:** The first time I read this poem, I died lol.

Like, IchiRuki was so obvious, dunno what went wrong.


	49. Waiting

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** So, this took longer to write basically because originally it was suppossed to be shorter, but nooo, it had got to be another long one-shot lmao. Well, none of you will complain... _probably_. Anyway, although we have angsty Ichigo here, this fic is anything but angst tbh. It's also not fully edited because, hey, it's almost midnight where I live. Sorry about that. On a more hopeful note, now I'm only missing 12 prompts, how bout that? If I keep this pace, I'll be finished with these prompts in like two weeks, and then I'll finally focus on this year's prompts.

I also want to take the time to say this one-shot is dedicated to RukiYuki, who felt a bit sick in the past few days. I hope you're back to full health soon, sweetie!

Thanks again all of you for your support!

See ya!

* * *

Waiting

 **Prompt:** summer

 **Summary:** After not being able to answer to her confession, Ichigo waits all summer for Rukia to come back.

* * *

Ichigo sighed for what felt like the hundredth time in just an hour. It wasn't uncommon for the teenage boy to be moody, but even then he rarely sighed. In fact, so far, he had been in a better mood than usual. It wasn't strange to see him smiling these days, sight which would have been rare only a few months prior. Certainly something had changed in his life that had contributed to his overall happiness. His family had a good inclination on what exactly had happened, though they had ultimately decided not to mention anything, least they, somehow, ruined the teen's good humor. However, looking at how pitiful he seemed, his happiness had been tarnished anyway.

"Hey, Ichigo, are you alright?" Isshin, the boy's father, had been worried about his son the whole dinner. He hadn't smiled to his sisters, complained about Isshin's antics, nor had he punched him in the face, just _nothing_. And he had been particularly obnoxious too! He hadn't even been able to cry to Masaki's poster once! That normally occurred at least twice before eight pm. Just what was going on with his son?

The boy simply shrugged, and instead of complaining his father was being nosy, he merely said, "Nothing."

Father and daughters exchanged an incredulous look, at a loss on what to do. Yuzu, the youngest sister, decided to try next, believing her beloved older brother would certainly show her any kind of reaction.

"Is the food not to your liking, onii-chan?" She asked him, using her best cutesy tone of voice, as well as staring at him with puppy eyes, which would usually do the trick.

"It's good." Was his reply. He hadn't even turned to look at her! He hadn't eaten either. He had just played with his food ever since he sat down on the dining table. This worried his sister, who knew that her brother, though not a glutton, had a healthy appetite. It meant that whatever was going on was more complicated than they had previously thought. Helplessly, Yuzu turned to look at her twin sister.

Karin, who in many ways was like her older brother, sighed heavily. Alright. It seemed it was time to take out the big guns, she thought. Nodding to her sister, she turned towards Ichigo and gave him her cockiest smirk, one that would surely piss him off.

"What? Cat got your tongue, Ichi-nii?" No response. "Or was it something else?" She wondered, the smirk never leaving her face.

"Karin-chan." Yuzu warned her, but her plan was already in motion. There was no time to stop it now.

"Or, maybe, it was someone, right?"

That at least got them a reaction. Ichigo had stiffened immediately upon listening to her words. Yet, he hadn't looked at her even once.

It was finally time to strike.

"Sooo," she drawled out the syllable, "are you gonna tell us what Rukia-chan did to you or what?"

Karin hadn't even finished speaking when her brother got up and left towards his room, slamming the door for good measure. The three which were left flinched when they heard the door slamming. Then, Yuzu turned to look at her twin and glared at her.

"Now you've done it."

The other girl rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. But now we know what's the problem. It's obviously Rukia-chan." That was something the family had inferred from the very beginning, but they had needed a confirmation of sorts.

Yuzu gasped at that. "Do you think onii-chan confessed to her and Rukia-chan rejected him?"

"I dunno. Could be." The other sister answered, trying to not sound disappointed.

Isshin, then, dramatically stood up and rushed towards his late wife's poster.

"Masaki!" He wailed, tears streaming down his face. "Our idiot son failed to get our third daughter! Now he'll never be a man and we won't have grandchildren! Oh, for shame! And he's also gonna die a vir─"

Before he could go on with his rant, Karin punched him on the face, letting him fall to the floor with a loud plop.

"Glad you've got your priorities straight, old man." She muttered as she crossed her arms, fed up with her father already.

"Masaki! Now our daughter is being mean to her father! Where did I fail, Masaki?! Please tell me!"

Yuzu ignored them, for she was already used to their behavior. Instead, she thought long and hard about the situation.

"What should we do? Should we go and talk to Rukia-chan?" In her highly romantic mind, there was no good reason why Rukia, her brother's closest female friend, would reject Ichigo. They were simply meant to be, and if the girl couldn't see it, then Yuzu would show her exactly how special her brother truly was!

However, Karin didn't agree with that way of thinking. "It's best if we don't get in the middle of whatever's going on. Ichi-nii's old enough to handle it… I _think_."

"Well said, Karin!" Isshin had finally stopped crying, and was up and about with a full energy. "If Ichigo can't get the girl he likes, he's not man enough!"

"Never mind the fact that Rukia-chan also has the right to choose." She grumbled.

"Yes, well, but if we let her choose, she might go for another boy, like that guy with tattoos she frequents." The father answered. "Now that I think about it, there are many better guys out there. No, we must not let Rukia-chan choose or she'll never go for your brother!"

"You're so mean, dad!" Yuzu complained this time. "Onii-chan is quite a catch!"

"Exactly." Karin nodded. "If Rukia-chan's not fast enough, another girl's gonna swoop in and get him, like Orihime-chan or Tatsuki-chan."

"No." Yuzu shook her head. "Tatsuki-chan's more like a guy friend for onii-chan. And I don't think Orihime-chan's his type. Rukia-chan's feminine and headstrong at the same time. Therefore, she's the best girl for onii-chan. Exactly his type!" She explained matter-of-factly.

"Precisely, Yuzu! That's just the type of woman the men in my family are attracted to! Why, if I was a few years younger, I'd─"

"Dad, if you don't want me to punch you again, please stop talking."

"Don't be so mean to your poor old father, Karin!"

Before their argument could carry on, another voice could be heard throughout the house.

"Could you guys shut up for one second?! You're too loud!" It was Ichigo, who had been listening to his family talk about him for the past fifteen minutes or so.

"Sorry, onii-chan!" Yuzu shouted back, feeling slightly ashamed for discussing her brother's love life behind his back.

"Anyway, I guess it's best if we wait until his bad mood goes away." Karin replied to the unspoken question of what they could do next.

Isshin sighed. "I'm gonna go pray to our ancestors. Otherwise, I might really not get grandchildren."

"You do realize Yuzu and I could still get married, right?"

"No! You're my babies and no man will ever touch you! I forbid it!"

"Ew gross."

"Daddy, stop it!"

* * *

In the privacy of his own room, Ichigo muffled a groan against his pillow. Why did his family have to be so meddlesome? It was bad enough they were talking about him behind his back, but now they were talking about Rukia too! That was both embarrassing and unacceptable. Especially since they had gotten it all wrong. What had happened hadn't been her fault at all. If anything, he was the one to blame, as he had been the one to hurt her when all she had ever done was wear her heart on her sleeve and say those words which had turned his world upside down. If anything, he was the one who needed to be haunted down and hit square in the face for being such a damn _fool_! Well, that would probably end up happening once Byakuya found out about what exactly he had done to his precious younger sister. Ichigo was not looking for that ass whooping, and yet he knew it would probably hurt less than what he was feeling at the moment.

The girl of his dreams had confessed to him, and Ichigo, like the idiot he was, hadn't said anything. He had just let her walk away to never be seen again.

Alright. That was an exaggeration. Admittedly, Rukia had confessed to him on the last day of school before the summer holidays. Apparently, she was going on a trip with her brother and would be back until the weekend before classes started again. She had wanted to get her feelings off of her chest, as they wouldn't be seeing each other for _months_. Admittedly, a part of Ichigo felt she had been unfair, springing those feelings on him and then walking away. Even going to her house had been off the table because, as luck would have it, she was supposed to get on a train that very afternoon. However, a larger part of him blamed no one but himself. It was really no secret among their friends and relatives that feelings were brewing between them. On the first week of classes, after meeting each other, rumors had spread about them hooking up, which was very far from the truth as they couldn't really stand each other at first, and only spent so much time together because Ochi-sensei had paired them up for a project on the first day of school. Ironically, the experience had made them become friends, and even as they befriended the rest of the class, it wasn't unusual to see him hanging out with Rukia. Next to Chad, she was his closest friend. That was a problem in and on itself. Kuchiki Rukia was special to him in ways Ichigo couldn't begin to describe. It hadn't gone unnoticed, of course, as not only his family but Kuchiki Byakuya himself had pointedly asked them about it, his tone of voice suggesting he knew more about their relationship than even they did. Mutual friends made it their daily task to pester them about it. Each and every time they denied it, but Ichigo new deep inside him that it wasn't the truth. As strange as it sounded, in the few months they had known each other, Rukia had become an integral part of his life, one that he wasn't willing to lose. That was why the moment those pesky feelings had appeared, he had tried with all his might to push them away. He had truly believed they were unrequited, and hadn't been able to bear the thought of Rukia finding out and rejecting him, thus destroying their friendship. It was upsetting to think that what had happened instead was that she had been the one to confess to him, and he had been the one to not say anything.

Guilt gnawed at him. One of the reasons he hadn't even thought about asking Rukia out was that being rejected would hurt like a bitch. Now he had subjected her to that pain he had tried so hard to spare himself from. _Coward_ , his mind called him on a loop. If only he had said something, anything, they wouldn't be in this situation. Ichigo wondered how she was faring. He knew for a fact Rukia hadn't really wanted to accompany her brother, but it had been her responsibility to oversee with him their company's new businesses. It probably sucked even more as she was probably feeling like shit right now. Fuck! What if she was currently blinking away tears, thinking about him? It had only been a day after all, and the pain would still be fresh. Wait! Did that mean he had made her cry? Double fuck! Oh no! He was definitely so screwed! If he had made Rukia cry, never mind the injuries Byakuya would give him, Ichigo would throw himself out of a window or commit seppuku or anything that would restore his honor. He wasn't even exaggerating.

But what if Rukia had believed she'd be rejected? She had told him on the very last day of the spring semester, knowing she'd be going away. It certainly wouldn't made the pain hurt any less, yet, it would mean he had just, inadvertently, given her enough peace of mind to move on. The thought made Ichigo blanch. Rukia was a very beautiful girl ─ not that he would ever tell her, but he'd be a goddamn idiot not to have noticed. It was highly probable other guys would like her. Hell, just in their class alone she had more than one admirer. What if she met someone new? Someone who came from a rich and honorable family like she did, someone more up to Byakuya's standards? Or what if Renji swooped in? It hadn't been a stretch when his father had believed Rukia was seeing Renji, as they did spend time together, being childhood friends and all. It wasn't a secret that the guy harbored such feelings for Rukia. She probably wasn't even aware, but now with Ichigo apparently out of the picture, nothing was stopping Renji for doing what he himself had failed to do. He could see it now, Renji taking her out, maybe to the park, and bringing her flowers (lilies, her favorite), dropping on one knee and confessing his undying love towards her. His treacherous mind supplied pictures of the two of them, making him gag.

He was the worst!

He had had the purest, most gorgeous girl ever declaring her love for him, and he had blown it! Due to what? The shock? Fear? His brain rebooting? Excuses, all of them! The only thing Ichigo had left was wait until the end of summer, and make some sort of gesture to convince Rukia he was madly in love with her, hoping against hope she wouldn't reject him.

Yep, that would have to do.

Ichigo cursed and muffled another groan.

Summer couldn't end fast enough.

* * *

"Kurosaki."

"Hey, Kurosaki, I'm talking to you."

"Kurosaki!"

Ichigo blinked and turned to look at the boy beside him. "What?" He drawled out, blinking owlishly.

"I've been talking to you for the last five minutes, and you've been unresponsive. What in the world is going on?"

Ishida Uryuu was probably the closest thing to a brother he had. He was his cousin on his mother's side, and although he had other cousins from his father's side of the family, he and Uryuu had grown up together, as they were of the same age. Over the years, they had developed a sort of rivalry which resulted on them calling each other by their last names. However, his cousin was one of the few people who knew him inside out. Ishida had probably guessed already that there was something wrong with him, so there wasn't any use in lying.

"Nothing."

It didn't mean he couldn't try, though.

Ishida sighed in exasperation and put their books away. He had invited Ichigo to his apartment in order to finish their summer homework early on. As he had some trouble in a few of their classes and Ishida was a complete _nerd_ , Ichigo had accepted. The original plan was to go over their homework, eat some takeout, and, if there was time, they would play videogames. Although he had gone with high spirits, he hadn't been able to focus so far, and it was clear his cousin had gotten already fed up with his moping.

"Look, you can try to lie to me all you want, but you and I know I'll get to the bottom of this."

It was the truth, Uryuu was remarkably persistent.

Still, Ichigo did not answer. He merely went back to the algebra problem he had been trying to solve for the past fifteen minutes or so.

"Is this about Kuchiki-san?" Ishida tried again. _Bingo_ he thought when Ichigo flinched. "Because if so, you have nothing to worry about. She's going to come back soon enough."

Cursing his treacherous body for reacting to her name, Ichigo shook his head. "It's not about her."

"Really now." Ishida muttered dryly. "So who's got you in such a mood? Maybe your father has finally decided to make you speed date in hopes of getting a grandchild."

He snorted. "Don't even joke about that."

"Then what is it?" His cousin questioned. "And don't tell me nothing again, Kurosaki. I have no patience today."

Ichigo, then, realized he had two options. He either lied again and hoped Ishida would drop it, or he took a chance and talk about his feelings for the first time.

"I'm just scared that I blew it."

"With who? Kuchiki-san?"

"Well… yeah."

Ishida gave him an incredulous look and then scoffed. "I think it's impossible you'd blow up your chances with her. For some odd reason, Kuchiki-san's smitten with you."

That got him raising an eyebrow. "Jealous, Ishida?"

"Not of whatever you're thinking of." Uryuu answered honestly. "Although Kuchiki-san's very pretty and whatnot, I value her as a friend. _Only_." He said very pointedly. "But I'll admit I envy the bond you've got with her. It's one of a kind and I wish I had something like that." After saying those words, he blushed, probably recalling a certain orange-haired girl they both knew. Coughing, Ishida went back on track. "Which is why I doubt you could ever do something that would make Kuchiki-san dislike you."

Oh, if only his cousin knew!

"What about accidentally rejecting her?"

Ishida blinked at him. "How the hell would you manage to do something like that?"

"By not answering to her confession?"

Ishida groaned. "Useless. You're useless."

"Thanks. Like I didn't know that." Ichigo replied sarcastically.

"I just can't understand how you couldn't say anything when the girl you like confesses to you. Are you daft? Do you know how many would kill to be in your position?"

"I panicked, okay?!" He yelled, not wanting to keep getting scolded. "I didn't see it coming, and when my mind worked again, she was long gone!"

Once he had realized Rukia wasn't inside the empty classroom anymore, Ichigo had rushed outside, running through the corridors, trying to reach her. However, when he had reached the school gate, she was already inside her brother's limo, being whisked away to the train station.

Ishida tsked. "Well, have you at least texted her?"

Ichigo shook his head.

"Kurosaki!"

"It's just this kind of things should be told in person, y'know?" His cheeks turned red as he talked.

"You're surprisingly romantic for a brute."

"Gee, thanks, cuz. What would I do without ya?"

"Enough. We can still salvage this."

" _We_?"

"I'll grace you with my help, just this once, and only because, frankly, I'd only be able to put up with Kuchiki-san as my cousin, and I can't be sure you'd choose someone as great as her next time."

"Now, who sounds like he's in love with Rukia?"

Ishida rolled his eyes. "You know it's not like that."

"Oh, I know, 'cause you like Ino─"

"Shut up!" Completely and utterly flushed, Uryuu reached out and covered Ichigo's mouth with his hand. Then, taking calming breaths, he moved aside. "Anyway, what you need to do is text her the day she comes back, asking her if you two can talk, then you're gonna take her somewhere romantic and drop on your knees, begging her to take you, is that clear?"

"Yeah, I'd figured out as much. What I still need to think about is the place and the grand gesture."

Ishida pondered on this for a moment. "You need a place which is both romantic yet private… Oh, I know! What about the river bank close to your house? At sunset it must be quite a sight."

Ichigo nodded, pleased. "Great idea."

"And as for the gesture… what about flowers?"

"Too cliché. Rukia wouldn't like that…"

"What about giving her a letter? You're much better at writing than talking, and we can't have you becoming speechless again."

He would have hit his cousin for that comment, but it was actually a pretty good idea. Ichigo let Ishida know, and the boy nodded, pleased with himself.

"Now all it's left is for you to get on writing that letter and wait for the rest of summer to end."

He sighed loudly at that.

"Now, let's finish our homework. I don't want to get behind on account of your girl problems."

* * *

"Ichigo! Aren't you having fun?!" Keigo exclaimed rather loudly.

As a matter of fact, he was not, but it wasn't as if he could ever tell his friend that. They had been planning this outing since before classes ended, and Ichigo didn't want to be the one to ruin it. And it was not as if it wasn't a fun event. Summer festivals, even with the crowds and the way vendors would scam the general public on their booths, were highly entertaining. The fireworks were something to look forward to, and the food was good, while the company was even better. His friends were all there and Keigo hadn't been pestering too much. In any other occasion, he would have enjoyed himself. Unfortunately, his mind was plagued with images of black hair and violet eyes, which didn't let him focus on anything else.

"Yeah… I am." He said, trying to smile, but obviously he didn't do a good job as his friends didn't buy it.

"Kurosaki-kun, are you feeling sick?" Inoue asked him, her tone worried.

The rest also stopped what they were doing to look at him.

"Yeah, Ichigo, you looked kinda pale." Tatsuki assed.

He waved them off. "I'm fine… So, what's next?"

Not wanting to argue with him just in case that would set him off somehow, his friends kept walking, moving to the next booth. Ichigo felt bad about the whole situation. He truly was trying to enjoy himself, yet he was having what Ishida would refer to as Rukia-withdrawals. She had been gone for a few weeks now, and she hadn't called him nor texted him. To be fair, he hadn't tried to either, but the lack of communication was slowly killing him. The more time passed, the more he worried his cousin was wrong and that Rukia wouldn't take him back or even hear him out. His heart clenched with pain just by thinking about it. On the other hand, he knew there wasn't much he could do at the moment other than trying to enjoy his summer. Rukia would, probably, not want him to wallow in self-pity. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to feel excited about anything.

It was funny, really. Ever since his mother passed away, Ichigo hadn't felt the right to just be _happy_. Until Rukia wormed her way into his life and heart, that is. He hadn't felt alive, like he could breathe in piece, until he had met her. It was like he actually mattered. Like he had a place in this world and he wasn't just getting by. But without her, or, more specifically, without her reassurance, Ichigo was a lost cause. It was hard to admit, but he didn't know what to do with himself now that she was gone. Probably the only thing keeping him from being out of wits was the fact he knew Rukia would be back, eventually. He thought to himself that, if she ever left without knowing if she'd ever come, he would more than likely lose his mind.

"The fireworks are about to start!"

"Everyone, let's move back there!"

"Yeah, the view's good over there!"

Ichigo followed his friends, just going through the motions. They all sat down on the outskirts of the festival. His friends were clearly excited about the event. Keigo kept whooping, Mizuiro was taking pictures with his cellphone, and even Tatsuki looked relaxed. He walked away from them, though, wanting to sit by himself. He felt as if he couldn't share their joy at the moment. Ignoring Ishida's worried glances, he settled down as far away as he could. A noise suddenly alerted him to another presence. Glancing up, he saw Chad sitting down next to him. For a moment, neither spoke a word, merely enjoying the fireworks as they eclipsed the night sky. One that wasn't blue but not quite violet either caught his eye. The lights looked like Rukia's eyes.

"You know, summer's ending fast."

That was all that Chad said. Ichigo smiled at him.

"Yeah, I guess so."

They fell silent again, merely enjoying the moment.

It was all they needed.

Ichigo hadn't really thought about it, but fireworks truly lit up the sky. Where once was a bleak nothingness, now there were millions of colors dancing against the darkness, twinkling like stars. Somehow, the view was comforting.

"Before the holidays are over, let's hang out again." Ichigo found himself saying.

"Ah."

"Let's invite the rest too."

"I'm free next week."

"Sounds like a plan."

As summer faded away, his resolve only strengthened.

* * *

Even if he wished for it to end soon, Ichigo decided to stop feeling bad for himself and start living once more.

Rukia would never forgive him if he didn't, after all.

"What's up, Ichigo?" Isshin asked his son, plopping next to him on the couch.

"Nothing. Just finishing up this level."

In an effort to be a little more social, Ichigo had moved his videogame console from his room to the living room. There, he could play with Karin, while Yuzu eagerly cheered them on. Today, though, both girls were out. Karin was out playing soccer with her friends, while Yuzu had gone out shopping with her own friends to a new store which had just opened. That left the two men of the house by themselves.

"Slow day at the clinic?" Ichigo suddenly asked.

It wasn't every day he would be the first to start a conversation with his father, so Isshin was a bit perplexed. He quickly recovered and smiled at him, even if his son was still focused on the screen. "Yeah, kinda. With everyone out of town, few people are getting hurt."

"Well that's a good thing, isn't it?"

"Not for our business, no! I wish more people got hurt so I could cure them and charge them!"

"Tch. You don't even accept all the money anyway." He muttered as he blasted more robots.

They grew silent as Isshin contemplated his next move. There were things he wanted to tell his son about, but he didn't know how to. Ultimately, he decided on a roundabout approach.

"I see you've been very intent on playing this game lately." He said, gesturing to the controller on Ichigo's hand.

"Yeah, I wanna beat it before school starts again."

"Right." Mulling over his words, he tried again. "What about your homework, though?"

"Ishida made me finish it on the first week."

"Ah, Uryuu-kun's always been a diligent one."

"Yeah, I guess."

Silence fell over them once again. Soon, the screen changed and the words "You Win!" appeared on a bright green color. With the pushing some buttons, the screen was back to black. Putting his controller away, Ichigo turned to look at his father.

"Alright, what do you wanna talk about?"

"What?" Isshin blinked at him.

"You're sitting here." His son answered, gesturing towards the coach. "That means you wanna tell me something, don't you?"

The father laughed. "Nothing escapes you, huh?"

Ichigo scratched the back of his neck. "I guess… So…?"

"Did I ever tell you about the time I started dating your mother?"

That picked his interest. Moving to sit closer to his father, he shook his head. "No. I don't think you ever did."

"We met when she was a third year in high school and I was a freshman in college. To be honest, we met by accident, when she pushed me away from a moving car which almost ran me over. I was too dumbstruck by her to tell her anything cool, but somehow she still befriended me."

"Huh." Ichigo muttered. "You never told us that story."

"Well, I didn't want my own children to think I was uncool."

"Too late. We already think that."

He chuckled. "Masaki didn't think I was cool either. No wonder it took years for us to start dating."

"Wait, what?" The son gaped at him, dumbfounded. "I thought you said it was love at first sight!" He accused his father.

"For me it was. For your mother… not so much. She believed I was an idiot, and I guess she wasn't mistaken." He grimaced at that.

"Yeah, no shit."

Ignoring Ichigo's commentary, he continued on with the story. "Still, she wanted to be my friend. I guess she realized how lonely I felt living in a new town, feeling severely out of place. Much to Ryuken's chagrin, she visited me often and invited me to hang out with her. And I was happy because I'd never had a friend like her. When I was with her, for the first time in my life I felt like I belonged."

"Yeah… I know that feeling."

Isshin smiled softly at him. "Your mother, Ichigo, was like the sun. Anywhere she went, she brightened the whole place. It was difficult not to love her, y'know. Ever since I met her, my whole life revolved around her. And I continuously worried about her not being by my side. I thought I might die. That's what I was afraid of confessing my true feelings for her. I feared she wouldn't want to be my friend anymore, 'cause no way in hell a woman like her would like a dork like me. So I let time pass by, and until I had finally set up my own clinic, did I feel like I was man enough to confess to her." He paused to observe his son's reactions. The boy seemed very interested in what he wanted to say. "Do you know what she told me when I finally asked her out on a date?"

Ichigo shook his head no.

"Took you long enough."

The son laughed. "Sounds like mom."

"Yeah, you've got that from her. Always making fun of me. That and your hair, your eyes, your ability to unite people. That's all her." He spoke fondly. "Sadly, you got your cowardice from me."

"Hey!" Ichigo exclaimed, offended.

"When I see you dancing around your feelings for Rukia-chan, I see myself a few years ago."

"A few years? More like over twenty years ago." He grumbled.

"My point is don't waste your time feeling scared. If I had known your mother would be taken from us so soon, I would've told her sooner. I would've cherished every waking moment with her. I didn't get the chance, but that doesn't mean you throw away your shot."

Ichigo sighed. "I feel like I already did."

That intrigued Isshin. "What do you mean?"

"Well, before summer vacations, Rukia confessed to me."

"Really?! And what did you say?!"

"I… didn't."

"What?" He blurted out.

"I didn't say anything, okay?!" Ichigo groaned. "I froze like an idiot and she just slipped away."

"So that's why you've been grumpy all summer? Well, grumpier than usual."

"Pretty much."

That explained everything. Isshin had feared Rukia had rejected him, but this changed everything. It did mean his son had a chance, however slim it seemed.

"Do you know what you gotta do?"

"I mean, I've got a plan. I just… I don't know what to tell her."

Isshin patted his shoulder. "Son, just be honest with your feelings. I'm sure Rukia-chan will understand."

"I hope so. I wouldn't hold it against her if she moved on, though."

The father shook his head. "She won't be able to even if she tries. Believe me, I know. People like you and your mom are hard to forget." He winked at him.

Ichigo smiled. "I guess all that's left to do is for her to come back, so I can answer her properly."

"Yeah, and then she's gonna give you all the smooches you want! Remember to use protection. I know I joke about being a grandfather a lot, but I'm too young for that. And if you want more romantic advice, you can always come to me! I know more than one thing to please the ladies."

"Dad!"

* * *

Summer had finally come to an end, which meant it was time for Rukia to come back. Ichigo had been a jittery mess once the final week of the holidays arrived. He had been counting the days until Rukia would get to Karakura. As the date grew closer, the more anxious he became. He had the letter all written down and, after having Ishida read it (which was embarrassing to say the least) everything was set. The only thing that was missing was having Rukia meet him at the river bank. At first, he had thought on making the girls to tell her to meet them there, but that involved getting more people meddling in his very personal affairs. Ishida refused to help him out on that particular detail of his plan, and it would be too weird if either Chad, his sisters or, god forbid, his father of all people asked Rukia to meet them there. No. The only way this could work was if he asked her himself. On the Friday that she was supposed to arrive, Ichigo bit the bullet and sent her a text.

 _Hey! How was the trip back?_

Though a little impersonal, Ichigo hoped it'd show that he wasn't feeling uncomfortable or anything. It seemed to do the trick, as she answered almost immediately.

 _Tiring but I'm just glad to be back home_

 _That's great_

 _Yeah I know (=^_^=)_

Taking a deep breath, he began typing his question. He erased it multiple times, but he eventually hit send.

 _Hey I wanted 2 know if you'd like to meet me at the river bank tomorrow_

He waited for what felt like an eternity but was in reality a few seconds.

 _Sure_

 _At what time?_

 _6?_

 _Okay. See you there!_

 _Yeah! See you_

On Saturday, Ichigo woke up early. He took a long shower and then went downstairs to make breakfast for his family. Yuzu was thoroughly surprised but altogether pleased. He also offered to accompany her to do some grocery shopping later that day. His younger sister easily agreed. He also went out and showed Karin some soccer tricks. The girl was taken aback by his offer, given the fact it had been a while since the two had played together. Both girls looked at each other, trying to find an explanation for their brother's good mood. Isshin, for his part, seemed more amused than anything. He kept sending his son playful looks, knowing exactly what was going to happen that day.

After lunch, Ichigo went back to his room and took out the clothes he had set aside for the day. It wasn't much, but he thought a pair of dark jeans, a black tank top and a red shirt would do the trick. He put on cologne and made sure he had shaved properly. Finally, he took out the letter he had written and put it inside a blue envelope. With one last look on the mirror, he went out of his room and down the stairs.

"I'm going out. See you later!" He waved goodbye to his family, an easy smile replacing his regular frown.

"Alright, what's up with Ichi-nii?" Karin asked the moment her brother was out of the door.

"I don't know what you mean." Isshin replied, trying to keep his giggles in check.

His daughters didn't believe him one bit.

"Something must've happened to make onii-chan act so… happy." Yuzu said.

"Yeah! And you must know, so fess up, dad!"

Isshin let himself chuckle. "I can't tell you much, just know that if everything goes well, you're gonna have a new sister-in-law."

The sisters grinned at each other.

"You can do it, onii-chan!"

Meanwhile, Ichigo was a nervous wreck. He had arrived fifteen minutes early, and as time went on, his worries increased. Millions of doubts circled around his mind. What if it was too late? What if Rukia rejected him? What if she had truly moved on? Or, worse, what if she didn't even come? He began pacing and he was sure he would have dug a hole on the grass if Rukia hadn't arrived exactly fifteen minutes later, at five o'clock.

"Hey, Ichigo!"

Turning around, he finally got a good look at her after so many weeks.

God! Was it even possible that she had gotten even more beautiful from the last time he had seen her? Her black hair moved with the wind and her eyes seemed to sparkle under the sunlight. The blue dress she was wearing only made her eyes and soft-looking skin pop up even more. And don't get him started on her lips! They looked specially plump and pink. He briefly wondered what it would be like to kiss them.

"Hey." He said lamely once she was standing in front of him. "How… how was your trip?"

"Boring." She deadpanned. "I'm happy to be back, though I didn't enjoy my vacations."

"Right." He replied, feeling his mouth go dry.

"And what about you? Did you have fun?" So Rukia was trying to make it seem as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened between them. However, Ichigo didn't have it in him to pretend any longer.

"Well, not most of the time."

That confused her. "What do you mean?"

"It's just that… I had to think about something."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Reaching into his pocket, he took out the letter and gave it to her. "This is for you. Sorry that I didn't say anything, I just thought it'd be better this way."

Rukia's eyes widened and with shaking hands she took the letter. "Ichigo… I…"

"Don't say anything. Just read it. It'll explain everything."

Nodding, she opened the envelope. Carefully, she took the letter out and began reading.

 _Dear Rukia,_

 _Writing this is harder than I thought, but there really is no other way for me to say this. But before all that, first let me apologize for not giving you a proper answer. For some reason, which Ishida refers to as my idiocy, I got stunned and couldn't say anything. I know. How uncool of me. No need to remind me. Then, in the blink of an eye you were gone, which makes me think you really didn't want to wait for my answer. That or I froze up for longer than I thought. You're gonna have to tell me which is the true reason you seemingly left so quickly._

 _Yeah, I know you probably don't want to read my ramblings and want to get straight to the point. It ain't happening. I spent weeks Rukia, weeks, trying to come up with something to say to you, as I kept imagining worst case scenarios, like you wouldn't even want to talk to me again, much less see me. I'm not even sure you're gonna read this later. That's how bad it is! I was miserable. Like you've got no idea. I felt shitty for letting you go just like that, and all I wanted was for summer to be done already so I could see you again._

 _But do you know what was worse than the uncertainty? It was not being able to hang out with my best friend. I was afraid to text you, much less call you. Every day I found more things that I wanted to tell you about. I wanted to know how you were doing, if the meetings were as boring as they sounded, if Byakuya still had a stick up his ass, and so on. I missed you terribly. More than I thought it was possible to miss someone. I now realize I took you for granted, and I don't want a repeat of that ever again. Basically, this is me telling you that next time Byakuya decides to take you away for more than a couple of weeks, I'm literally gonna fight him, Rukia. This is no joke. I'm gonna throw hands at him to get you a responsibilities-free holiday. Fat chance I'm gonna let him take you away this winter break too! And don't try to argue with me on this. I've got my mind set and there's nothing you can do about it._

 _Now, on the topic at hand, before telling you anything, let me tell you that, whatever happens, nothing will change for me. You'll still be my best friend. Forever and always. 'Cause there's really no one like you, Rukia. You're one of a kind and I'm lucky to be your friend. I'm even luckier to be the person you like (if as of the moment you get this letter you still feel this way, that is)._

 _So, before going away on the first day of summer, you told me you wanted to talk to me. You told me that, try as you might, you couldn't let go of these feelings. You said you liked me. And that was probably the happiest day of my life. I'm sorry that I went ahead and ruined the whole thing. And although you didn't really ask me anything, it was a confession nonetheless and I feel like you need a proper answer._

 _Rukia, I like you._

 _I don't know if I started falling for you the moment we met, but I know it was pretty soon in our relationship. Somewhere, somehow, in the middle of all the bickering, the petty fights, the laughter and the heart-to-hearts, I fell in love with you and, honestly, I don't think there's a way back. Before I met you, I didn't know what I was doing. It was like I was in a limbo. But you helped give me a purpose. You're, quite literally, my ray of light, and I don't know what I'd do without you. Probably lose my damn mind. See the effect you have on me?_

 _I'm not sure if by the time you read this letter you'll still like me. I'm aware that there are many guys out there who're a million times better than I am. I'm quick-tempered, foul-mouthed and a brute (that last part was added by Ishida). But I swear I'll spend the rest of my life cherishing every waking moment I get to live with you, because, goddamnit, I'd be damned if I let this chance slip away._

 _So, if you still feel the same way, awesome!_

 _If not… well, I'd still like to be your friend. You're gonna be pretty fucking difficult to forget, but I'll try to do my best._

 _Now I've got a question for you._

 _Rukia_

 _Would you like to go out with me? Like, on a real date?_

 _I was thinking laser-tag and then eating at that ramen stand you like, 'cause dinner and a movie is way too cliché for us._

 _I'll be waiting for your answer._

 _─Ichigo_

 _P.S. What exactly is the color of your eyes? I've been trying to describe them on a poetic way, but I can't get it right._

When Rukia finished reading the letter, she had tears streaming down her face. Ichigo instantly panicked and attempted to comfort her, but she simply raised her hand to stop him.

"Four things, Ichigo." She muttered. Holding up one finger, she said, "My eye color changes with the lighting. Sometimes it's more blue, others more violet. Both are fine."

"Thought so." He replied.

"Two." She said, holding up a second finger. "You're also my best friend and nothing in the world will change that, you hear?"

"Loud and clear."

"Three." She held up a third finger. "I didn't want to listen to your answer 'cause I thought the feeling wasn't mutual. When you froze up, I thought I had fucked up and that's why I left so quickly."

"Next time, hit me in the stomach or throw water at me. That'll do the trick."

"Duly noted."

Taking a deep breath, Rukia continued. "And four… like hell I'd stop liking you in one summer, Kurosaki Ichigo. I'm not sure you know but you're pretty damn difficult to forget. There's no one like you."

He chuckled at that, his own eyes filling with tears. "Thanks, you too."

She snorted. "Is that the best you can say?"

"For the moment, yes. Bu aren't you forgetting something?

Rukia considered it for a moment and then smiled devilishly. "Y'know, I should probably wait like a whole month before I get back to you on that last point."

"You minx." Ichigo grumbled.

She grinned at him as she walked closer to him until their chest were touching. Grabbing his shirt and standing on her tiptoes, Rukia kissed him fully on the lips. Ichigo closed his eyes and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her even closer to him. It was everything he had ever wanted. Once it was over, he rested his forehead on hers.

"Of course I'd go out with you, Ichigo."

He bent down to kiss her again.

"Would you be my girlfriend, then?"

"Do you even have to ask?"

Ichigo simply raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. I'd gladly be your girlfriend."

"Good."

With that, they kissed once more.

* * *

 **A/N:** It had been a long while since I last wrote some Kurosaki-family shenanigans. They're always a delight to write. It had also been a while since I wrote some good Uryuu-Ichigo bonding moments. I couldn't resist to slip some IshiHime in there too lol. Ah, and our man Chad is the real MVP. He knew why Ichigo was feeling like shit, but instead of pushing him, he just sat next to him and comforted his friend with his presence. What a bro!

And if you must know, Rukia totally moped the whole trip too, making Byakuya slowly lose his mind, thinking she was sick and then realizing it had to be about that Kurosaki boy. He was already planning on ways to murder him when Rukia arrived home that Saturday and she kept giggling and singing to herself. Byakuya calmed down and then understood why the change. Needless to say, he pretty much told Ichigo that if he dared hurt his sister, he could say goodbye to his life. Good luck, Ichigo!


	50. Violet

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** Yo! I'm on a roll and I'm back with another story, exaclty twelve hours after publishing the last one. This time I wrote another drabble because, let's be honest, if I keep writing longer stories, I'm never gonna finish, which is why I got burned out last year. If all goes well, I might be able to sneak in another one-shot today, most likely another drabble or short story, no longer than five pages. Anyway, for today's one-shot I tried my hand at some IchiRuki love at first sight type of situation because I've come to realize there's not a lot of such stories out there, much less in Ichigo's POV. It's more than likely that it's because IR trascends physical aspects of a relationship, but still, I just find it real cute for Ichigo to just freaking fall for Rukia at first sight lol. I hope you like it and I also recommend listening to "Shy Violet" by Owl City because this song partly inspired this drabble.

Once again, thank you everyone for your support!

See ya!

* * *

Violet

 **Prompt:** eye contact

 **Summary:** While out shopping, Ichigo makes eye contact with a beautiful girl.

* * *

Ichigo doesn't like shopping, much less going to those girly stores Yuzu likes. He would've rather gone to a sports store or to the library, if he's being honest. But he promised her that he'd go with her to the new store that opened downtown, and he'd be damned if he let his eleven year old sister go all by herself. Karakura isn't a violent town by a long mile, yet it has enough gangs to keep you alert. Yuzu is all sunshine and rainbows, and Ichigo has absolutely no doubt those good for nothing thugs would try to take advantage of her. Thankfully, he knows how to fight, skills he had to acquire once he became a target due to his hair color, and he could probably take over six idiots all by himself.

Yes.

Going with her is the only way he's going to feel at ease.

So together they walk around the streets, with Yuzu chatting animatedly about the new show she's watching, about her friends at school, the new recipe she wants to try out for dinner, Karin's new videogame and their father's new antic during breakfast. Ichigo listens patiently, feeling warm inside at her cheerfulness. Though not prone to moodiness like he and Karin, Yuzu keeps everything bottled up in an effort to not worry any of them. She had taken up the mantle of caring for them like a mother would, even though she's much too young to have that responsibility, and so Ichigo finds himself delighting every time Yuzu lets herself be who she is, a young girl who likes sundresses, bad doramas, going out with her friends, cooking, and anything cute she can find. Which is why they're even going to the store in the first place. It had been described as a paradise for girls, selling cheap jewelry, stuffed animals, pillows, bags, makeup, and more. Yuzu had been excited once she heard, and she had practically begged him to go with her. Ichigo's never been one to deny his sisters anything, so he had accepted. And even though he hates the thought of spending hours browsing stores and being seen entering such a place ─that could ruin his reputation after all─ it's all worth it just to see Yuzu's happy face.

They finally reach the place and go in, Yuzu getting more and more excited by the minute. It turns out the store is everything Ichigo thought it would be. It's covered in pink and lavender walls, with glitter everywhere, and all manner of cutesy things. Anywhere he looks at, he can see dresses and shirts in pastel colors, stuffed animals of each and every size and kind, rows and rows of necklaces, earrings, rings, bags and sunglasses, pillows, picture frames, notepads, and anything a teen girl would want. The moment they go in, Yuzu squeals and dashes inside, freezing for a moment, not knowing exactly what to look at first. Ichigo playfully rolls his eyes, and gently pushes her towards the dresses, knowing full well Yuzu had been needing to buy more clothes after a recent growth spurt had left all her dresses reaching up to her thighs and not below the knee like she prefers her dresses to be. Yuzu doesn't need much encouragement and soon she's making her way around the store, picking dresses to try on, a few necklaces and hairpins catching her eye, and more than once grabbing a stuffed animal. He feels thankful he had enough presence of mind to bring his wallet, thinking about buying something for Yuzu as a present, 'cause there's just no way she has enough money for all the things that she wants.

Yuzu ends up ignoring him as she finds more stuff to look at. Ichigo, meanwhile, remains on the sidelines, watching carefully over his sister and, at the same time, trying to ignore the people who unabashedly stare at him. Parents glare at him, and teenage girls openly gawk at him and mutter about how hot he looks. Then the store clerk embarrasses him by asking if he's there to buy something for his girlfriend. The thought of him being in a relationship is laughable, but still his cheeks turn red as he shakes his head, silently begging the clerk to leave him alone. She smiles at him and then leaves him to his own devices. He sighs in relief and it's then when he sees _it_.

The bell at the top of the door chimes, signaling the arrival of a new customer. In walks a girl with her head held high, midnight hair flowing past her shoulders, holding a pink bag in the shape of a bunny. She's wearing a pale blue dress, much like the kind Yuzu likes to wear. She seems young. Not as much as his sister, but she can't be past fifteen. She's beautiful too, with delicate features and soft skin. Yet, Ichigo doesn't notice any of these things, because, for a solid moment, the only thing he sees is _violet_.

Violet, like the color of his mother's favorite flowers.

Violet, like Karin's favorite blanket.

Violet, like Yuzu's new bow.

Violet, like the cover of the poetry book he keeps hidden under his bed.

Violet, like the sky after a storm.

Violet,

Violet,

Violet

It is a few seconds too late when Ichigo finally realizes that the stunning violet comes from her eyes. They are wide, doe-like even, and impossibly bright. She smiles at him, and he's left breathless.

 _Did my heart love till now?_

He tries to speak, to say something, _anything_ , but much to his dismay, the moment is soon over. Yuzu rushes up to him and grabs his hand, breaking the binding spell of the girl's eyes.

"What do you think about this dress, onii-chan?" She says as she models a, what do you know, violet dress.

"Looks good, Yuzu."

His sister beams at him and rants about liking so many things in the store. Ichigo tells her she can grab any other item she wants and that he'll pay it for her. She flashes him a grateful smile and skips over the other side of the store to pick a necklace. The bell chimes again and, when he turns again, he can see the girl from before walking away, a white bunny plushie in her arms. Ichigo doesn't understand why, but his heart starts beating fast at the sight.

And, he starts wondering, if he'll ever see her again.

(His heart screams yes).

* * *

 **A/N:** lol all Ichigo wanted to do was take Yuzu shopping, and he ended up spouting lyrical about the eyes of some mystery girl. The woes of teenage love, am I right?

The store was inspired by a few of the own shops I frequented as a teen, because that's the kind of thing I liked back then, and who am I kidding, I still like that type of thing, thank god pastel colors are back in style.

Also, I couldn't help but sneak in a quote from _Romeo and Juliet_ , because I'm pretty sure Ichigo quotes him all the time like the dork he is. Also, he reads poetry cause there's no way in hell you can like Shakespeare and not like poetry, and that's a fact coming from a Literature Major herself.


	51. Sun, Moon, Stars

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** Hey! I'm finally back with another drabble. I think that the best way to go about this is to write a drabble and then a longer story, and so on. I think this way I won't get burned out and I'll finally manage to complete both IchiRuki Months.

Now, for this drabble, the prompt is to choose a word, sentence, phrase, story or poem that can relate to IchiRuki. For this one, I choose ee cummings poem #38. Although I wrote down the last two stanzas, which are the ones I feel are more closely related to this ship, I recommend going ahead and reading the poem first, and then coming back here. It's very short so it shouldn't take long to read it. It's one of my favorite poems ever, so I hope you enjoy it.

Now I'm very happy with the overall reception last story got! I was a little bit hesitant on whether it was interesting enough, or if the love at first sight concept would fit Ichigo and Rukia, but man was I surprised by how much you all liked!

Again, thank you for all of your support! I feel very grateful to write for this awesome fandom!

Until next time!

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **Bleach power:** I'm glad you liked the last few stories! I can easily see them as parents tbh. They work so well together that they could easily parent together. And yeah, Ichigo is a dummy who'd totally freeze if Rukia ever confessed to him. Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

Sun, Moon, Stars

 **Prompt:** your choice - a word, a sentence, a phrase, a story, or a poem you feel relates to ichiruki

 **Summary:** Ichigo comes to life each time Rukia comes back.

* * *

 _losing through you what seemed myself;i find_

 _selves unimaginably mine;beyond_

 _sorrow's own joys and hoping's very fears_

 _yours is the light by which my spirit's born:_

 _yours is the darkness of my soul's return_

 _–you are my sun, my moon, and all my stars_

* * *

Ichigo can divide his entire life in three moments.

 _Before Rukia_

It's like being numbed. He knows he's alive but for what purpose, he cannot decide. Days go by in the same manner. Wake up. Go to school. Return home. Go to sleep. Repeat. Each and every day of his life. Of course, there are things that break the routine (thugs picking up fights with him, his family's antics, the occasional ghost, searing pain every June). Yet they are things he comes to expect, and becomes acutely accustomed to.

Soon, he's an automaton, moving when he's told to, only breathing because it is ingrained in him, his heart beating almost by default of the very condition of his existence.

There are no pleasant surprises, unimaginable happiness, a sense of belonging, nothing that could signify Ichigo is, in fact, very much alive.

(That's because a part of him, the biggest part of him, died alongside his mother, long ago, on a rainy night. It's been raining non-stop ever since, and with each rain drop, his heart grows heavier, as if he's drowning inside, no longer a human but a carcass of someone that used to be one.)

He's only a ghost, now, not unlike the spirits that follow him around.

He belongs to them, to death and decay.

That is, of course, until a ray of light shines through, and it's like every rain drop has evaporated and only sunshine exists.

In some ways, it's like he's been finally given a purpose by a higher being, that his life wasn't meaningless, that there was something left for him to do.

And for the first time in years, Ichigo carries himself with the visage of a man who is out to conquer the world.

(And he does, for _her_ ).

 _After Rukia_

It happens thrice, that he's without her.

The first time, for a few weeks he's left to sheer nothingness and the numbness comes back. However, before he can totally succumb to despair, he realizes he still has a piece of her, beating alongside his heart, whispering, screaming, that there's something he can do. He's not completely powerless, so he takes his chance and turns the world upside down. No matter how hurt he gets, how much he bleeds, there's purpose each time he holds his sword. And each time he fights, her name is the only sound in his mouth.

The second time he knows it won't be long until they see each other again. He's right, but he's still taken completely by surprise when he sees her standing in the windowsill, a stunning mirage, ready to pull him into her world once more. He lets himself be dragged and doesn't regret it, not even once. Because that's where he's meant to be. (Right by her side).

The third time is much more different.

There is no longer a piece of her with him to give him hope. He's reduced to less than an automaton, because even then he knew what to do. Now he simply has no idea anymore of who he is (a human, a hollow, a Shinigami, a _specter_ ) or what he wants (to protect, to be a Shinigami, to be with he─).

He's been successfully uprooted of everything he knew and everything he wanted.

He lies to others, but especially to himself, because saying out loud that he's no longer here, that he's trapped in a world he's only meant to visit after he's dead, it's like admitting he would rather seize to exist.

 _"What do you want to do after high school?"_

 _"I wanna move out."_

But he's a man haunted by a ghost who vanished from his life, and only left behind echoes, voices who are dreams, and Ichigo does not know if his memories are part of reality or if he somehow imagined it all, like a man starved in the desert, dreaming of water, only to get drowned by sand.

 _"Do you miss her?"_

 _"There's no reason to."_

So, when the chance presents itself of getting back everything he wanted, Ichigo does not hesitate, because no matter the cost, he would rather feel pain to feel nothing at all.

(And then happiness arrives once again).

 _With Rukia_

The third moment in Ichigo's life is, perhaps, the one he cherishes the most.

It happens three times and, on the last one, he's not ready to let go.

(So he doesn't).

Ichigo comes to life each time Rukia comes back.

He lets himself lose the bits and pieces that made up who he thought he was, who he thought he would become, who everyone wanted him to be, and through her finds selves that were always the real him (human, hollow, fullbringer, Shinigami, _hers_ ). Beyond sorrow and hope, joy and fear, there is something so unmistakably _Ichigo_ when he's with her. No longer an automaton or a specter, but the promise of a new beginning. And the best part of it all is that a resolution beats deep within, pounding with the mighty strength of someone who knows he belongs.

Because Ichigo finally belongs.

He belongs to all of the goodness in the world.

He belongs to his family.

He belongs to his friends.

He belongs to the chaos of life and the peacefulness of death.

He belongs to justice and honor.

He belongs to the inextricably nuances of three known worlds.

Most of all, he belongs to her.

Because Rukia is the light that stopped his rain.

She's the one who made his soul reborn like a phoenix, always to fly, never to perish.

The darkness of her hair, the endless pools of her eyes, are the things he wishes to return to each and every time.

Rukia is his sun, illuminating his sky on his happiest days.

Rukia is his moon, keeping him company in the worst moments of his life.

Rukia is all of his stars, reminding him he's never alone.

Through her, he's who he was always meant to be.

 _Whole_.

* * *

 **A/N:** So this was sort of a character story, relating to Ichigo and the ways Rukia changed his life. While writing I realized that the number three relates to Ichigo and Rukia more than I had expected, which relates to the sun, moon, stars imagery. There are three chapters called "Death & Strawberry", Ichigo has to say goodbye to Rukia three times in total (when she goes back to SS, when Ichigo returns to Karakura, and when Ichigo loses his powers). Rukia comes into Ichigo's life three times (on the first chapter, during the arrancar arc and during the fullbring arc). Then there are, indeed, three moments in Ichigo's life that relate to before Rukia/before having powers, during the moments he is with Rukia and has his powers, and after Rukia/after losing his powers. Basically, the way Kubo originally set it up (before throwing all to hell) is that without Rukia, he cannot be a Shinigami because both relationships are tied together with Rukia. So Ichigo cannot fulfill his wish to protect (by having Shinigami powers) without Rukia. In a sense, it still rings through in the end. Ichigo and Rukia live separated, and Ichigo is last seen as a human and not a Shinigami. In the last volume cover, he appears as a Shinigami, I guess both as a call back for the first volume/first arc, but Rukia's also there so, coincidence?

Also, did I just write a Bleach meta in plain 2019 by complete accident?


	52. Appearances Can Be Deceiving

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Bleach. It's property of Tite Kubo.

 **Author's Note:** Hey! I'm back with another short one-shot. This time, I'm writing using Isshin's POV as he's such fun to write! I hadn't done it in a while, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Now, this is my take on a famous IchiRuki situation in which Isshin listens through Ichigo's door and believes he and Rukia are in a comprimising position to say the least, pretty much like in that one chapter. I always wanted to write one of these, but I never got to do it way back in the early 2010's. This probably turned out to be a cliché, but I just love the hilarity of it all. I hope you all enjoy it!

Again, thank you very much for reading, putting this story in your favorites, and reviewing! I appreciate all of you for your support!

See you!

* * *

 **Reviews**

 **Bleach power:** Thank you very much! Yeah, I think so too! Ichigo must've felt like something was missing when Rukia was away.

* * *

Appearances Can Be Deceiving

 **Prompt:** "it's not what it looks like!"

 **Summary:** Isshin's latest attempt at listening through Ichigo's door finally brings results.

* * *

Isshin was enjoying a rare afternoon by himself. It was a Sunday and all of his children were out. Karin was in the park, playing soccer, while Yuzu had gone to a friend's house to bake brownies. Even Ichigo had gone to the movies with his friends ─at least Isshin really hoped they were, in fact, in the movies, and not out saving the world from yet another power-thirsty villain. Being alone meant that he could get to relax in ways he never could these days. He began by boiling water in a kettle, and taking out a tea mix he had been eager to try (call him old fashion, but he preferred mixes to bags). While the water boiled, he went and grabbed the book he had bought around a year ago, that he had never gotten to read. Taking out his favorite mug, he poured the water and added the tea. Isshin blew on it and then took a hearty sip. Ah. It was perfect. With his mug in hand, he made his way to the living room, ready to get down to read. However, just as he had sat down, he heard a weird noise. For a few seconds he sat on the couch, perplexed. When the noise wasn't heard again, he opened his book, a novel about a man whose children were always getting into trou─

 _Thud_

Huh. There it was again. Isshin looked up, down and sideways but could not pin point exactly where it had come from. Nothing had fallen down as far as he could see. It hadn't even sounded as something hitting the floor, it was more like the sound of─

 _Thud_

 _Thudthudthudthud_

That piqued his interest. As the noises had sounded close together, he finally realized whatever that was, was coming from upstairs. Leaving both the book and the mug on top of the coffee table, Isshin slowly stood up, careful of not making noises. He then tiptoed as he went upstairs. His first instinct was to think there was a burglar. It was still early and bright outside for a robbery, but you never know these days. Then, he thought it could have been related to the Soul Society. It was no secret to him that several Shinigami often came to his house in search of his son. So far none had seen him, and for that he was glad, because he really couldn't imagine what Rangiku and Toshirou-kun would think of seeing him again after so many years, living a human life. They would probably beat his ass fir disappearing all those years ago. Still, peeking into Ichigo's room wouldn't hurt. He had to make sure no foe was after his son.

As Isshin approached the door, he heard the thud even more strongly. _Jackpot!_ He was about to slam the door open when he noticed there were voices coming from the room. Sure enough, they sounded exactly like Ichigo and Rukia-chan. The father blinked, for a moment left taken aback. _Weren't they watching a movie?_ His surprise gave way to shock when he heard what sounded distinctly like a feminine moan. Not wasting another minute, he pressed his ear to the door.

"Don't be so loud, Rukia." It was Ichigo who was talking. His voice husky.

"I-I can't h-help it." The girl all but whined.

Isshin almost yelped.

No.

It couldn't be!

Where they…?

 _Thud_

 _Moan_

 _Thudthudthud_

Oh.

They totally were.

They were going at it _hard_ , by the sounds of it.

And with him in the house too!

What a pair of rascals!

(Though Isshin couldn't really fault them. They had been apart for seventeen long months. If his dear Masaki and he had been separated for so long when they were young, he was sure they probably wouldn't have left the room in a week. Maybe even more.)

He almost laughed to himself. Of course. He tended to forget sometimes that his soon was a teenager, a healthy one at that. He would definitely have urges, especially being so close to such a beautiful girl he was totally in love with, because, come on, Ichigo was in love with Rukia. There was no other explanation to his moodiness whenever she was gone. Isshin smiled. If this kept up, one day he would be the proud grandfather of a cute little child. He wondered if the baby would look more like his son or like Rukia-chan. Perhaps the kid would even look like Masaki. He couldn't wait!

Isshin's happiness was over, however, when he realized this was not the first time he had heard sounds coming from his son's room. Each previous time had ended up in disappointment at finding Ichigo and Rukia-chan were most definitely _not_ engaging in adult activities. Could this be a fake alarm too?! No! That would dampen his dreams of a child with orange hair and violet eyes! In a split second, the father decided to keep listening and put an ear to the door once more. He listened to more thuds. Closing his eyes, Isshin tried to imagine what they could be doing that could elicit such noises. The most obvious reason would be repeatedly banging against the bed. Yet, it could also come from the desk, the wall… or even the closet…

Could Ichigo be on those leagues now?!

His nose started bleeding.

 _No, Isshin, you gotta focus!_

Shaking his head, he resumed thinking. There was a chance one of them was jumping on the bed, although that wouldn't necessarily explain the moans. And speaking of which,

"Ah… aaaahhh."

"Rukia! I told you to be quiet! Dad's home and he doesn't know we're in here."

"I-it's your f-fault! Y-you're g-going t-too… ah… har-aaah"

 _Thudthudthudthud_

"C-can't help it. We rarely get the chance to be like this."

"I-ichigo."

"Hmmm. That's how I like it. Keep saying my name, Rukia."

Yep.

They were having sex.

Now, any other father would have probably been alarmed, but not Isshin. He completely understood his son. It was a Shiba man thing to be passionate to a fault, and that did not exclude bedroom activities. Why, he could still remember that time Ryuuken had accidentally walked in on Masaki and him at the clinic on his off day. The man had screeched bloody murder, and though they had been interrupted, it had been a funny anecdote to retell during family reunions. Ryuuken always got red in the face, but it wasn't as if he was one to talk. He still remembered the time Masaki had overheard him and Kanae-san having some alone moments in his room. Ah! To be young and in love!

Then, as if he had been drenched by a bucket of ice cold water, Isshin froze.

How could he be so dumb as to forget?!

Worry that the two weren't using protection suddenly overcame him. Though he had given the talk to Ichigo as extensively as possible, he was reminded of the fact his son was a horny teen who tended to be reckless. Then there was Rukia who probably had no idea about human contraceptives. It was a recipe for disaster. More exactly, it was exactly how one got pregnant. Oh, he didn't even want to imagine it! Not only would his own son become a teenage father, he would knock up Rukia, aka the sister of one of the most protective captains in the Soul Society, without being married. There was no way Byakuya-kun would not want to castrate Ichigo, or worse, kill him for good. No! Isshin could _not_ allow that to happen. He loved his son too much to let him die by the hands of a very pissed off Shinigami. He needed to make sure the two of them were being safe or, at the very least, stop them before Ichigo could reach past the point of no return.

Opening the door as fast as he could, Isshin barged in screaming, "No, son! Don't do it! I don't want you to die!"

"What the hell, old man?!"

He opened his eyes, which had been closed beforehand, and instead of seeing the images his perverted mind had concocted of his son and third daughter bare naked on the bed (or perhaps in other places of the room), he saw both of them, fully dressed, attempting to tickle one another.

"Wha─?" He blurted out, dumbfounded.

"What are you doing here?! And why did you come in like that?!" Ichigo complained, finally sitting down on his bed properly, and he crossed his arms, clearly annoyed.

"B-but… what… I thought you… you were…"

"Where what?"

"I thought you were at the movies!" Isshin exclaimed.

His son sighed. "Plan got cancelled. Keigo came up with the flu and pretty much got everyone sick. Rukia and I are hiding here."

That made sense.

But…

"And what were you doing in here with the door closed?" He asked, suspiciously.

At least the two had the decency to blush. "It-it's not what it looks like!" Both stammered.

"We were just having a tickle fight."

"A tickle fight?" He was still not buying it.

"Yeah, a tickle fight." Ichigo nodded. "Just that."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"Hmm."

"But why did you barge in?" He questioned.

"Yeah, and why did you say Ichigo was going to die?" Rukia-chan asked him.

Isshin felt ashamed. He wasn't about to tell them what he thought was going down. His son already thought he was a pervert, he didn't need to add to that. "Well, I heard strange noises and thought you were being attacked! That's right! I was concerned!"

Both teens raised an eyebrow as they looked at each other. Finally, Ichigo looked back at him. "Eh… Alright… Though if I was being attacked, I doubt I'd go down that easily."

"Yeah… right…"

"Are you gonna go now?"

"Huh? Oh yeah! Continue whatever you were doing! I won't bother you anymore!"

On that note, Isshin dashed out of the room and back to the living room. Once by himself, he started chuckling to himself. Of course his son was still too innocent to be doing such activities. Well, maybe if he waited longer until he was older, he'd be more rational and remember to use protection, so that his poor father wouldn't have to worry about his untimely demise due to sakura petals.

"Eh. One day I'll get my grandkids." He muttered, opening his long forgotten book.

Unbeknownst to him, back in Ichigo's room, the two young Shinigami had collapsed on the bed. If he had taken time to notice, he would've seen how ruffled their clothes were, and that Ichigo was wearing his shirt backwards.

"That was too close." Rukia complained, burying her head on the pillow.

"This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't been so loud." Ichigo retorted, grumpily joining her on the bed.

"I told you I couldn't help it!" She defended herself, blushing.

"Che. You're right. I love listening to you like that." He grinned, tenderly caressing her cheek.

Rukia coughed before continuing. "It's your fault, anyway. You forgot to lock the door."

"Fuck." Ichigo cursed as he stood up.

"Where are you going?"

"To lock the damn door!"

Rukia smirked impishly at him. "Oh? So Kurosaki-kun wants to go back to playing?"

"Don't call me like that, and you bet! Or what? You wanna stop? You weren't close yet."

"Nu-uh. Give it to me, Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Do you want all of it?"

"Hell yes!"

More thudding could be heard, but Isshin ignored all of it. It was no possible the noise could mean anything more than a tickle fight… right?

Sadly, he was unaware that, for the first time ever, he had been absolutely right.

 _Thudthudthudthud_

* * *

 **A/N:** Unexpectedly perverted ending? Nah, I see you, guys. This is what you wanted. A sexy one-shot from yours truly. And I guess it was sorta long overdue with the angst and interrupted kisses and everything, lol.

I don't condone underage sex, _but_ these two missed each other and, really, after 17 months apart, what can you expect?


End file.
